Frontier Airlines Makes Good on John Leonard’s Unrewarded Soda Contest Jet

Thirty years ago, a major beverage company launched a promotion where customers could collect Reward Points to earn swag like t-shirts, sunglasses and more.  Regrettably, the ad also showed a Harrier jet as a prize for 7 million points.  John Leonard collected the points.

Frontier Airlines Exchanges John Leonard's 7 Million Soda Pop Reward Points for 7 Million Miles, enough to Fly Free for Life - Courtesy Frontier Airlines

On Thursday (February 5, 2026) Frontier Airlines recalled that 30 years ago during the ‘Big Game,’ a promotion captured America’s imagination.  Under the promotion, which was launched by a major beverage manufacturer, customers could collect enough points to redeem for a variety of merchandise, such as t-shirts, sunglasses, and even a Harrier jet.  One man, John Leonard, took that idea seriously, and gathered the 7 million points for the jet.  At the end of the day, he never received a jet, though later starred in a popular Netflix documentary chronicling his extraordinary story.

Today, Frontier Airlines announced that they have agreed to redeem Mr. Leonard’s original 7 million points for 7 million miles, enough miles to fly free on a jet for the rest of his life.  Frontier is also inviting travelers to get in on the action.  From February 5th through February 22nd, consumers can swap unused reward points from other brands and receive up to 5,000 free Miles, enough for a Frontier Airlines Award flight (T&Cs apply). For More information, or to participate in Frontier’s ‘The Big Redemption’ offer, please click here.

In Thursday’s announcement, Frontier Airlines’ AVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Bobby Schroeter, said,

“We’re redefining air travel, providing real value through the most rewarding loyalty program in the sky.  We’re not only giving redemption to John, but also to consumers who have been left behind by other loyalty programs.”

John Leonard Announces Frontier Airlines' 'The Big Redemption' Promotion - Courtesy Frontier Airlines

Denver-based Frontier Airlines is a subsidiary of Frontier Group Holdings, Inc.  The carrier is committed to ‘Low Fares Done Right’, and currently operates a fleet of 164 Airbus A320 Family and the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S.  With approximately 200 new Airbus aircraft on order, Frontier will continue to grow and deliver on their mission of providing affordable air travel across America and beyond.

Source: Frontier Airlines