Skywards Sweeps Three Top Freddie Awards in USA

Skywards, the frequent flyer programme of SriLankan Airlines and Emirates, took top honours in New York at InsideFlyer magazine’s 17th Annual Freddie Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of customer loyalty programmes.

At the ceremony, Skywards received “Freddies” for “Best Member Communications” and “Best Web Site” in the Asia Pacific region, plus the coveted title of “Programme of the Year” which honours performance across the full spectrum of services provided by a frequent flyer programme.

The Freddie Awards provide travellers the opportunity to rank airline and hotel frequent traveller programmes based on their own experience, through a system which balances the popular vote with the overall merit and quality of the programme. More than 300,000 frequent travellers participated in this year’s vote.

Peter Hill, CEO, SriLankan said: “We are absolutely delighted to continue our winning trend with Skywards. Awards for our frequent flyer programme mean that we are giving our customers quality benefits and this is the best way we can show our gratitude to loyal customers of SriLankan.”

Brian LaBelle, Vice President Skywards, said: “It is an honour to have received these awards, knowing that the recognition comes directly from our loyal members and that what we do everyday does not go unnoticed.”

Skywards has been winning awards every year since inception five short years ago, and currently has 13 awards to its credit.

About Skywards

Launched by SriLankan and Emirates in 2000, Skywards is already widely known as best-in-class for its dedication to offering members benefits which go far beyond the immediate travel experience. The two key drivers of the programme are commitment to innovation and the philosophy that superior customer service is key.

Members earn Skywards Miles on every flight with SriLankan, Emirates and its partner airlines and hotels worldwide, in addition to car hire and financial services companies.

Rewards for a passenger’s loyalty and business include free flights to hundreds of destinations, leisure activities and quality goods.

With three tiers of membership – Blue, Silver and Gold - members can enjoy more privileges the higher their membership tier. Tier miles are accumulated whenever they fly with SriLankan and Emirates.

Privileges include wait-list priority for all tiers, with priority check-in and airport lounge access for Gold and Silver members.

Skywards’ website - www.skywards.com - is designed to allow members to manage almost all aspects of their membership online. The web provides an exciting, interactive online service packed with personalised features, news and special offers.

Skywards also has a club for its younger travelers that has proven to be as much fun on the ground and on the web as in the air! Skysurfers, for customers aged up to 16 years, is tailored to their preferences and interests and can be accessed on the web at www.skysurfers.com