Indonesia’s GarudaMiles Honored with the Acclaimed 210 Award

Indonesia’s GarudaMiles Honored with the Acclaimed 210 Award

Consideration for this award came down to just two candidates (the separation to the #3 rating was more than a half-full point): GarudaMiles and Airpoints. And the award goes to GarudaMiles. While Garuda is the country’s (Indonesia) flag carrier, it isn’t the largest airline though it flies both international and domestic flights. Competing against the likes of Lion Air which is the largest low-cost carrier in Southwest Asia has been a challenge but looking at the rating in this category for GarudaMiles bears out that this frequent flyer program is playing a large role in Garuda’s present and future plans including being part of the SkyTeam alliance. And just 2/10ths behind in ratings is Airpoints. Air New Zealand while not the home of a Freddie Award, is constantly rated in the top five over the years. They formerly had a strategic alliance with now-competitor Virgin Australia and have benefited from being a member of the Star Alliance.


Full Voting Results

Rank210 Award – Airlines (Middle East & Asia/Oceania)Rating
1Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles8.23
2Air New Zealand Airpoints8.03
3Korean Air Skypass7.62
4Virgin Australia Velocity7.15
5Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles7.08
6Malaysia Airlines Enrich7.08
7JAL Mileage Bank6.59
8Asiana Airlines Asiana Club6.59
9Air China PhoenixMiles6.50
10Air Arabia Air Rewards6.27
11Gulf Air FalconFlyer6.22
12InterMiles6.19
13Thai Royal Orchid Plus5.97
14EVA Airways Infinity MileageLands5.93
15Oman Air Sinbad5.71
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is Rewarded the Prestigious 210 Award

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is Rewarded the Prestigious 210 Award

This category can claim the title of being the most interesting. For instance, TAP Miles&Go won this category in 2017, 2019, and 2020 and look what they did this year, they grew out of it and won overall Freddie Awards for all major airline categories. The winner in 2016 was Norwegian Reward as they ascended toward relevancy with a strong loyalty offering. This year they were #4 in this category and the 2015 winner, Aegean Miles Bonus was in a very positive place with their #3 finish. Flying Club is a program that rests in the cradle of an airline that has won a lot of awards over the years with the style of delivery and service for their inflight cabins. But they’ve escaped attention to their loyalty offering in a very competitive European marketplace. For many years SAS ruled the loyalty space, Turkish has garnered attention as has Aeroflot. Virgin Atlantic might be handicapped by its routes but certainly not by its product and its loyalty program. Recent moves to establish a more far-reaching loyalty currency could make for a large change here. All we know is that this year, Flying Club and its members earned the respect they deserve.


Full Voting Results

Rank210 Award – Airlines (Europe & Africa)Rating
1Virgin Atlantic Flying Club7.17
2Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles6.86
3Aegean Miles Bonus6.68
4Norwegian Air Shuttle Norwegian Reward6.54
5SAS EuroBonus6.36
6Alitalia MileMiglia6.26
7South African Airways Voyager6.11
8FinnAir Plus5.98
9Vueling Club5.97
10Air Europa Suma5.94
11Icelandair Saga Club5.81
12airBaltic Club5.44
TAP Miles&Go Easily Secures Best Redemption Ability Award

TAP Miles&Go Easily Secures Best Redemption Ability Award

This is a category in which there seems to not be any competition. TAP Miles&Go easily wins this Freddie Award with almost a whole point and a half rating higher than Air France KLM Flying Blue in the #2 spot followed by Lufthansa Mies & More in the #3 spot. Neither of these two programs are strangers to top finishes in this category. Flying Blue won it in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and most recently in 2020, while Lufthansa won in 2012. 2018 and 2019 Freddie Awards in this category were won by Aeroflot who likely was hampered by world events this year. But the distance between Miles&Go and Flying Blue this year is certainly attention-getting. Very rare for any program to win a category by that margin.


Full Voting Results

RankBest Redemption Ability – Airlines (Europe & Africa)Rating
1TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go9.31
2Air France KLM Flying Blue8.09
3Lufthansa Miles & More7.98
4British Airways Executive Club7.19
5Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles7.04
6s7_priority6.94
7Virgin Atlantic Flying Club6.85
8Norwegian Air Shuttle Norwegian Reward6.82
9Aegean Miles Bonus6.72
10SAS EuroBonus6.43
11Iberia Plus6.36
12Alitalia MileMiglia6.28
13FinnAir Plus6.13
14South African Airways Voyager6.11
15Vueling Club5.91
16Icelandair Saga Club5.83
17Air Europa Suma5.82
And the Winner of the Best Customer Service by a Loyalty Program Goes To…

And the Winner of the Best Customer Service by a Loyalty Program Goes To…

Another category in which TAP Miles&Go show excellence this year, a full point higher rating to capture another Freddie Award in 2022 than Lufthansa Miles & More in the #2 spot besting Air France KLM Flying Blue in #3. Both Flying Blue and Lufthansa have won this award before, Flying Blue in 2016 and Lufthansa in 2015. And if you are wondering, SAS EuroBonus won in 2014. Aeroflot had a three-year streak from 2017-2019 and Norwegian Reward won in 2020. No one program owns this category which we think is a good thing. Congrats to Miles&Go, may this start something for you but also to the past winners …. but a little bit more of how you say—thank you.


Full Voting Results

RankBest Customer Service – Airlines (Europe & Africa)Rating
1TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go9.25
2Lufthansa Miles & More8.25
3Air France KLM Flying Blue7.81
4Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles7.21
5British Airways Executive Club7.18
6Virgin Atlantic Flying Club7.16
7Aegean Miles Bonus6.77
8Norwegian Air Shuttle Norwegian Reward6.67
9SAS EuroBonus6.58
10Alitalia MileMiglia6.31
11Iberia Plus6.30
12FinnAir Plus6.29
13South African Airways Voyager6.19
14Icelandair Saga Club6.03
15Air Europa Suma6.01
16airBaltic Club5.80
17Vueling Club5.77
TAP Miles&Go Adds Best Promotion Award to Their 2022 Honors

TAP Miles&Go Adds Best Promotion Award to Their 2022 Honors

Another outstanding rating by Miles&Go on their way to a sweep in this region for 2022. In both the Americas and Middle East Asia/Oceania, the margins between #1 and #2 were a quarter to a half-point, this margin is a full one and a quarter-point in ratings. What promotion could rank this high? the Miles&Go Black Friday which offered “Between 26 November until 1 December TAP Miles&Go Club offered a total of 144,000 bonus miles and 8,000 status miles with a 12-month mileage purchase subscription.” Uhhhhh, 144,000 bonus miles and additional status miles will do it almost any time. As mentioned, Flying Blue was #2 with this: “Gain Double XP >>> Members automatically gained double elite qualifying points to maintain their current status and reach the next one faster on all Air France and KLM-marketed flights taken between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.” Lufthansa has a top-three finish with this: “Earn Additional Status Miles in 2021 >>> From 1st January to 31th of December 2021 members earned double status miles for flights, double HON Circle miles with flights in First and Business Class and Frequent Travellers & Senators were also able to earn status miles when using their Miles & More Credit Card.” But we’re still thinking about those 144,000 bonus miles from Miles&Go.


Full Voting Results

RankBest Promotion – Airlines (Europe & Africa)Rating
1TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go9.04
2Lufthansa Miles & More7.72
3Air France KLM Flying Blue7.67
4British Airways Executive Club7.23
5Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles6.73
6SAS EuroBonus6.37
7Aegean Miles Bonus6.20