2025 Freddie Awards – A Chicago Landmark Event

Last night I attended the 33rd Freddie Awards, which always offers a great opportunity to reconnect with fellow bloggers and industry insiders. While the winners were somewhat surprising and sometimes bemusing, the fellowship was sweet.

2025 Freddie Awards At Chicago Athletic Association

Created in 1988 by Randy Petersen to recognize the world’s best and most innovative frequent travel programs, the awards are named in honor of airline pioneer Sir Freddie Laker, who helped to make travel available to the masses through his budget carrier Laker Airways.

The 2025 event took place in downtown Chicago at the historic Chicago Athletic Association, a landmark now converted into a luxury hotel in the Hyatt Unbound Collection. The venue was unique, with a buffet dinner and the award ceremony taking place on a basketball court with a running track circling above it.

The master of ceremonies this year was Maya Leibman, who recently retired after a 30-year career at American Airlines, where she rose to EVP and CIO. She now serves in an advisory role at AA and on various boards. She was a bit guarded at first in her jokes (no “venus envy” jokes like Gary Leff), but as the program progressed, she let the punches fly, in a humorous roasting sort of way.

I have to be honest…I don’t really care all that much who wins…I go to see friends and for networking.

But it’s nice to see programs recognized for their creativity and for offering members advantages (in that sense, I was very sorry that SAS did not win the award for best promo because I thought its Million Miler promo was one for the ages, but was very glad to see Aeroplan, with Mark Nasr in attendance, take Program of the Year for the Americas and two other awards).

The event was not the same without Randy Peterson (he retired after the 2023 event), but it’s really a blessing to see old friends and to make new ones. I had some wonderful conversations last night and that alone was worth the trip to Chicago. The travel space is actually fairly small…people know one another and I love to see how people have (mostly) matured in the 15 years or so I’ve been attending events like this.

A special thanks to Ed Pizzarello and Gary Leff for organizing the event and laboring so hard to make it a success. I thought the food looked delicious, but I never got a chance to try it! I was too busy chatting and at 7:30 pm on the dot, maybe a few seconds before, the staff rushed out and removed all the food like it was a Sheraton Club Lounge in Warsaw. And it was a taco bar…#sigh.

Thankfully, I had a few lamb chops that were offered as appetizers, so I did not starve…

2025 Annual Freddie Awards – Winners

Congrats to the 2025 winners. There were some surprises and some familiar winners…I was sad to see that Hyatt did not win a single award. Air Canada did very well, though. American Airlines won a couple of awards too, but best customer service? I think not…

• Americas
  • Airline
    • Program of the Year – Air Canada – Aeroplan
    • Best Elite Program – Air Canada – Aeroplan
    • Best Promotion – Air Canada – Aeroplan – Aeroplan 40th Anniversary
    • Best Customer Service – American Airlines – AAdvantage
    • Best Redemption Ability – American Airlines – AAdvantage
    • Up and Coming Program Award – Avianca – LifeMiles
  • Hotel
    • Program of the Year – Caesars Entertainment – Caesars Rewards
    • Best Elite Program – MGM Rewards
    • Best Promotion – Caesars Entertainment – Caesars Rewards – Quest For Rewards
    • Best Customer Service – Caesars Entertainment – Caesars Rewards
    • Best Redemption Ability – Caesars Entertainment – Caesars Rewards
    • Up and Coming Program Award – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
  • Credit Card
    • Best Loyalty Credit Card – Citi / American Airlines – AAdvantage Platinum Select
• Europe/Africa
  • Airline
    • Program of the Year – Norwegian Reward
    • Best Elite Program – Air France / KLM – Flying Blue
    • Best Promotion – Norwegian Reward – Spenn – New Loyalty Currency
    • Best Customer Service – Norwegian Reward
    • Best Redemption Ability – TAP Air Portugal – Miles&Go
    • Up and Coming Program Award – TAP Air Portugal – Miles&Go
  • Hotel
    • Program of the Year – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
    • Best Elite Program – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
    • Best Promotion – GHA – GHA Discovery – GHA DISCOVERY D$1,000,000 Giveaway
    • Best Customer Service – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
    • Best Redemption Ability – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
    • Up and Coming Program Award – GHA – GHA Discovery
  • Credit Card
    • Best Loyalty Credit Card – Bank Norwegian Card
• Middle East & Asia/Oceania
  • Airline
    • Program of the Year – Garuda Indonesia – GarudaMiles
    • Best Elite Program – Saudia – Alfursan
    • Best Promotion – Saudia – Alfursan – 4% Bonus Miles When Purchasing Miles
    • Best Customer Service – Garuda Indonesia – GarudaMiles
    • Best Redemption Ability – Garuda Indonesia – GarudaMiles
    • Up and Coming Program Award – Air India – Maharaja Club
  • Hotel
    • Program of the Year – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless
    • Best Elite Program – Marriott Hotels – Marriott Bonvoy
    • Best Promotion – Accor – ALL Accor Live Limitless – App Days
    • Best Customer Service – ITC Hotels – Club ITC
    • Best Redemption Ability – ITC Hotels – Club ITC
    • Up and Coming Program Award – GHA – GHA Discovery
  • Credit Card
    • Best Loyalty Credit Card – Saudia – Alfursan – Al Rajhi Bank Credit Card

CONCLUSION

I look forward to the Freddies each year, the “Academy Awards” of the hotel and airline industry. Congrats to all the winners!