Freddie Awards: Velocity to lose 'Best Redemption Ability' title?

[deva22]

Hi All,

Just voted in the Freddie awards and I am of the opinion that Velocity will lose their crown in the Best Redemption Ability category after the drying up of AU<>USA availability.

Thoughts?

 

[Mattg]

I'd have to agree.

Velocity availability for domestic Australia flights remains pretty good. But for international/long-haul flying (especially to the USA in premium cabins), availability has become much worse.

Do you know if Virgin are running a campaign this year to get people to vote for it in the Freddie awards? Call me skeptical, but I'm of the opinion that this is part of the reason they won in previous years.

 

[samh004]

Do you know if Virgin are running a campaign this year to get people to vote for it in the Freddie awards? Call me skeptical, but I'm of the opinion that this is part of the reason they won in previous years.

It's all rigged, the awards should be given based on how the airlines themselves voted on each other. Even then, it wouldn't be accurate. Getting your fans to vote for you doesn't really prove anything. The average person who does or doesn't find success in making a booking probably doesn't vote, and they're the ones who should be judging who comes out on top.

 

[OzEire]

Do you know if Virgin are running a campaign this year to get people to vote for it in the Freddie awards? Call me skeptical, but I'm of the opinion that this is part of the reason they won in previous years.

Im seeing lots of these at the moment, VA not alone.

It does feel a bit like begging. Clicking through from VA wouldn't sway my vote... providing a good program is the way to do that.

 

[Blackswan]

They can beg all they like, but I don't think they're going to win this year.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

A long time AFFer is speaking at the freddie's this year. He isn't shy about telling programs they suck, so I'm sure we are in for a treat.

In terms of redemption- if there's no award seats it means the airline is selling them for cash! So you can't have excellent award availability AND a super super profitable airline at the same time. The US3 get around this by effectively leveraging their own currency (miles) to push redemptions on Alliance partners.

 

[Blackswan]

Well, they've just started hustling for votes on Facebook. Should be interesting.

 

[pauly7]

Waste of time who cares about these fake awards

 

[oz_mark]

Do you know if Virgin are running a campaign this year to get people to vote for it in the Freddie awards? Call me skeptical, but I'm of the opinion that this is part of the reason they won in previous years.

It's how the Freddies market themselves - they have managed to convince the various programs to do it - which is why you see the programs doing it.

 

[anat0l]

Let's do some thinking here.

First of all, be it a farce of an award, an award is an award (an Oscar is an Oscar), and companies will take that all the way to the bank (and on billboards, not to mention the use of award winning all over websites, brochures etc. ad nauseum)

As it stands, because this is a vote by the populace and not some sort of scientific panel or the like, of course hawking for votes will be a major component of it, irrespective of "how low" standards may be to collate those votes.

If VA wouldn't win this category this year, who else would, particularly when considering the regional award? It definitely wouldn't be QF.

Given that the success of redeeming a domestic award is very high on VA, and many people will likely spend their points as such, that would likely register highly on the radar of "success in redemptions".

While there are many reasons why some might believe that these awards are quite "fake", one must be careful to separate the whole idea that the awards are "fake" versus simply calling them out because the result doesn't reflect one's opinion of the "reality" or one's preferences.

 

[williamsf1]

here is a report for reward seats for 2016 ... shows VA with a 2.1% lower rate that 2015.... however still one of the high ones

http://www.ideaworkscompany.com/wp-...Press-Release-109-Reward-Seat-Report-2016.pdf

 

[anat0l]

Well, here's something, just to round it out from the original posting.

Virgin Australia Win Big At The 2017 Freddie Awards - Points From The Pacific

 

[Blackswan]

Well, here's something, just to round it out from the original posting.

Virgin Australia Win Big At The 2017 Freddie Awards - Points From The Pacific

Literally shaking my head. What a joke.

 

[Pleb Status]

My experience is award redemption is far easier on VA, particularly dom J to/from PER. So the outcome was correct IMHO.

 

[straitman]

They can beg all they like, but I don't think they're going to win this year.

Why :?:

Literally shaking my head. What a joke.

.... and why :?:

A bit of elaboration would be useful and appreciated.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

My experience is award redemption is far easier on VA, particularly dom J to/from PER. So the outcome was correct IMHO.

The freddies is a popularity vote..

 

[Blackswan]

Why :?:

.... and why :?:

A bit of elaboration would be useful and appreciated.

Because in my opinion, they don't have the best redemption ability, particularly with premium seats.

Domestically, sure they have seats available, but in my experience it matches what QF releases. Internationally (again, in premium cabins) there is next to no availability on their own metal, or on partner airlines (the same partner airlines who release premium award seats to their other partners, but for some reason not available to VA). So, I'd rate SQ, CX, and even QF (yes!) above VA in terms of redemption ability.

Finally, an airline that wins 'Best Redemption Ability' should not require their customers to call the god-awful call centre in Manila to book partner awards.

 

[anat0l]

Because in my opinion, they don't have the best redemption ability, particularly with premium seats.

Domestically, sure they have seats available, but in my experience it matches what QF releases. Internationally (again, in premium cabins) there is next to no availability on their own metal, or on partner airlines (the same partner airlines who release premium award seats to their other partners, but for some reason not available to VA). So, I'd rate SQ, CX, and even QF (yes!) above VA in terms of redemption ability.

Finally, an airline that wins 'Best Redemption Ability' should not require their customers to call the god-awful call centre in Manila to book partner awards.

Oh well, just like greater than half of Americans seem to disagree that Trump is an idiot, a large handful of frequent travellers have disagreed with your opinion.

 

[Pleb Status]

Oh well, just like greater than half of Americans seem to disagree that Trump is an idiot, a large handful of frequent travellers have disagreed with your opinion.

What have Trump supporters got to do with VA having the best reward availability (for six years in a row)?

 

[anat0l]

What have Trump supporters got to do with VA having the best reward availability (for six years in a row)?

Nothing. The demonstration was that there are people who have a fervent or learned opinion that is not reflective of the popular opinion, much to their surprise.

I was waiting for someone to point out that potentially there is not much good in believing the Freddies because it is based on a popular vote which doesn't involve total participation (also like US elections), but eh.

Finally, if we must be really, really accurate, according to the popular vote of frequent travellers (and even then, not really because we don't actually ask for their opinion, we just get them to merely vote), VA has the best reward availability.