Summary Frequent flier programs have evolved beyond free flights and involve many partnerships. Airlines are launching loyalty-only flights to appeal to holiday-goers using miles. Some strategically use exclusive loyalty flights to fill seats and provide unique benefits to frequent fliers.
Frequent flier programs, or Airline Loyalty Programs as they are better known, have increasingly become more and more important parts of the airline industry landscape. These extensive award schemes have the rather simple purpose of providing patrons with free flights. However, they have grown to become cash machines that do far more than offer free flights that can be booked based on points you earned from credit card purchases .
Carriers have now developed dozens of partnerships, and have helped ensure that every facet of the loyalty experience makes its way into the consumption habits of the average program member. These programs have now become so important in the American consumer landscape that everyone from credit card lenders to hotel chains and rideshare services will battle to be the company selected for a partnership with a major airline loyalty network. As a result, carriers have become extremely powerful sources for the sale and distribution of frequent flier miles, which in turn serve as important assets for revenue generation.
Get all the latest aviation news on Simple Flying! Thus, the concept of loyalty-only flights was born. Aer Lingus, among others, is putting this kind o.