2016 FlyerTalk Awards: And the Winners Are…

Luciana Mangas March 22, 2016

The 2016 FlyerTalk Awards results are in and we have the very best to share with you! In a repeat performance, American Airlines, Starwood Hotels and Hertz car rental took home the “Best Rewards Programs” awards for the Americas in the fifth annual FlyerTalk Awards. The results were also announced in USA Today‘s “Today In The Sky” blog.

“Thousands of FlyerTalkers vote every year,” says Paul O’Brien, FlyerTalk community manager and lead administrator of the FlyerTalk Awards. “Many members who voted are among the world’s most elite travelers.”

FlyerTalk Awards are split into categories by continental area, and community members can choose up to four top programs in each category. In the Americas, American’s AAdvantage program was crowned as the best program in the “Fly” category, which recognizes airline loyalty programs. Starwood’s Preferred Guest program took the honor in the “Stay” hotel category, while Hertz Gold Plus Rewards topped the “Drive” category. In other regions, FlyerTalk crowned British Airways and Cathay Pacific in both the Best Reward Program and Outstanding Benefit categories in Europe/Africa and Middle East/Asia/Oceania, respectively.

The FlyerTalk Awards were established in 2012 and are one of two frequent-flyer and travel accolades, the other being the long-standing Freddie Awards, now entering their 27th year.

“The programs in the Freddies use email lists to solicit votes from everyone who has an account with them, whereas the FlyerTalk Awards only solicit votes from the travelers on FlyerTalk, and never for one particular program,” says O’Brien. “This means the FlyerTalk Awards winners are chosen by expert travelers who use many different travel brands throughout the year, and have a true basis for comparison. Someone voting in the Freddies may have stayed at one hotel all year.”

You can check out the complete winners list below:

2016 WINNERS

Best Rewards Program

Americas