The organisers of the prestigious Freddie Awards, where consumers rank airline and hotel loyalty programmes from their point of view, have said that the Gulf Air Frequent flyer programme is ‘destined for Freddie greatness’
The comment was made as Gulf Air picked up its first ever Freddie for ‘Best Award Redemption, Frequent Flyer Program, Europe/Middle East/Africa: and was highly commended for two others.
In the citation for the Best Award Redemption, the organisers said: “From out of nowhere comes Gulf Air Frequent flyer, a newer and growing player in the Middle Eastern market and beyond. With a value vote of 9.02 and a respectable percentage of the overall vote, the programme formerly known as
“Falcon” makes its first-ever Freddie Award appearance.”
Later in the evening when Gulf Air came third in the two categories; Best Customer Service, Frequent Flyer Programme, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Best Award, Frequent Flyer Programme, Europe/Middle East/Africa, the organisers recognised how the airline’s FFP programme was growing in stature year-on-year.
“And rounding out the top three, we once again see plucky Gulf Air Frequent flyer, a programme that seems to be destined for Freddie greatness,” and “a testament to the growing influence of Middle Eastern programmes” they said.
And when it came to the Award for Best Web Site, Frequent Flyer Program, Europe/Middle East/Africa,, the organisers had this to say about Gulf Air: “And who’s that just behind? Gulf Air Frequent flyer makes yet another statement about the popularity of Middle Eastern programmes.”
Louise Robertson, Gulf Air’s Manager Loyalty Programmes says she was delighted by the recognition – at all levels.
“When the Gulf Air Frequent flyer programme was re-launched as part of Gulf Air’s new brand identity in spring of 2003, we took the opportunity to upgrade the scheme in order to make it one of the most attractive loyalty programmes in the airline world,” she said.
“We remain as committed as ever to making the Frequent flyer programme the most valuable and rewarding of its kind, and we will continue to refine it. As a result applications for membership are growing at an unprecedented rate.
“We are honoured and delighted to have achieved global recognition in the form of a Freddie,” she said. “We are even more excited by the prospect that the people who matter - our customers – see us as being the ‘one to watch’ for the future.
The Freddie awards have grown in stature and importance over some 17 years and are the most prestigious consumer-generated awards in the industry.
At the presentation ceremony held on 28 April, 2005 at the Grand Hyatt New York, frequent guest and frequent flyer programmes from around the world competed in nine Freddie Award categories, culminating in the highly coveted Programme of the Year award.
About Gulf Air
Gulf Air was founded in 1950. Today, it is owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, Oman and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is the only truly pan Gulf carrier in the region. The airline’s network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 44 cities in 30 countries. The fleet is one of the most modern in the Middle East and comprises 34 aircraft.
The airline is in the last year of a three-year strategic recovery programme, headed by President and Chief Executive, James Hogan. The airline, which is making rapid strides towards regaining profitability in 2005, aims to further evolve by taking its renowned cultural strengths, which have been gained over more than half a century, into a global environment.
The dramatic turnaround in Gulf Air’s fortunes has won international recognition. In January 2004, The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) presented the airline with the prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award for 2003. Gulf Air was also the recipient of the 2003 Platinum Award for the Best Airline in the Middle East and North Africa, recognising the airline’s commitment to service excellence.
