The Freddie Awards

The Freddies have been awarded (I cast my ballot too) and I would have an idea – not that anyone asked for my opinion – but I cannot help it.

The voting should be only for qualified travellers, the super-voters, if I might call them like that, travellers who have been using different airlines and hotels. I have mostly flown Air Canada (at least 95% of my flights I think) so my vote should not be very relevant. I mean someone who has been flying different airlines during the year (and a few times for each airline) would be more qualified than me to vote. Also, I have stayed most of the time at a Marriott, but someone who stayed at different hotels chains would again be more qualified than me to vote.
For example, my wife said that United Airlines was worse than Air Canada or British Airways for a transatlantic flight but she is not a frequent flier so again her vote would not be relevant (not that she cared to vote).

• The user registers on a website, enters the membership cards and allows the website to retrieve information from their loyalty programs (in exchange for their time they get an entry in a draw for some prizes).
• Based on a certain algorithm (for example at least 20 flights with 3 different airlines and at least 50 nights with 3 different hotel chains) the ‘qualified’ voters are selected.
• “All men are equal but some are more equal than others”; someone’s ballot who spent 150 nights at different hotels would be more important than of a traveller who spent 50 nights only, etc.

I know it would be more complicated and it take some work to set-up this system but it will be fairer for all parties involved and the awards will be more meaningful.