The Freddie Awards, the voting is ‘flawed’
I logged into my Aeroplan account to select ‘my privileges’ for the Air Canada Altitude program and there a message:
“Now you can vote for Air Canada Altitude as the Best Airline Elite Program for the Americas. …”
So why not, I thought, and I submitted my ballot choosing Air Canada and Aeroplan wherever I could.
So why I say the voting is flawed as it is now. I have mostly flown Air Canada so my vote should not be very relevant, 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 voting should be only for qualified travelers, the super-voters, if I might call them like that, travelers who have been using different airlines and hotels.
So these are my suggestions for a better voting system – not that anyone asked for my opinion – but I cannot help it:
- 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 users are equal but some are more equal than others”; someone’s ballot who spent at least 150 nights at different hotels would be more important than of a traveller who spent 70 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.
agreed. Assinging “best” by a vote of people who haven’t tried all of the options is never a good idea.
And the “campaigns” company’s put on don’t help objectivity.
There is also a tricky balance in dealing with non-frequent travelers. i.e., I love Hilton more than Hyatt, but they’re loyalty program is not as strong.
“The voting should be only for qualified travelers, the super-voters, if I might call them like that, travelers who have been using different airlines and hotels.”
But then it wouldn’t reflect the opinion of millions of frequent travelers, which is what the Freddies does. That would be a different awards program. Personally I like what the Freddies is — the collective wisdom of your fellow frequent flyers. And by the way the large numbers involved does help mitigate some of your concerns (Cf. Condorcet)
I would like to think that most of the votes are coming from Frequent Flyers and Point Junkies, but to some extent ALL internet voting campaigns become popularity contests.
It is definitely better than nothing though, as it gives travelers and opportunity to directly provide feedback to the rewards programs.
Then again, after all the recent hotel loyalty changes, maybe they won’t want the feedback coming their way
When I filled out the ballot, I only voted in categories that I was qualified to answer. I would hope everybody does this but I kinda doubt it.