Loyalty and CRM

Spurred by a rapidly changing digital landscape and dynamic market context, expectations from loyalty programs have changed for both business and leisure travelers. While loyalty played a crucial role helping airlines weather the pandemic, what new realities should airlines consider to fulfill member expectations moving forward? Let's explore four key trends that are shaping airline loyalty today and into the near future.  1. Traveler and staff empowerment It's no secret that in the early days of the pandemic airlines and travelers experienced a high degree of friction managing massi...

Payments are an integral part of the customer experience in today's online world. With so many different standards across countries, it's a challenging feat. But those companies that still view payments as merely transaction enablers witness increased cart abandonment rates and lost conversion. Most online businesses used to offer only a limited number of payment options, forcing their customers to settle with credit cards or PayPal. Many still do. But today's consumer expects payment options that deliver greater value, more flexibility, and more choice. With contactless and alternative paymen...

Travel credits — certificates, vouchers, and future flight credits, among others — are widely understood in air travel. But due to the sheer volume of travel credits issued after the onset of COVID-19, travel credits have emerged as a problem for just about every airline. Since 2020, airlines issued or continued to owe customers roughly $20 billion in credits or refunds, CBS News reports. In 2022, both airlines and customers struggle to keep track of the myriad travel credits in the market. The situation is no better for customers. They are struggling to redeem credits due to lost codes, compl...

Loyalty programs enjoyed newfound fame over the past couple of years, having bailed many airlines out of the pandemic's financial turmoil. As airlines sought financial relief, loyalty programs reasserted their value to the business, endearing many a CEO along the way. While loyalty leaders were already aware of their programs' revenue contribution, they continue to be frustrated by the volume of untapped opportunities. If only senior airline leaders understood and addressed the factors limiting loyalty's full potential, even more revenue could be unlocked. As hero loyalty programs slowly come ...

While technology professionals are well aware of the advantages microservices architectures deliver, why should business leaders in loyalty actually care? Why not just let the IT team worry about such complicated technical topics? In short, because it has a direct impact on your loyalty business. Successful loyalty programs add value to their members, which translates into revenues for the program provider. Creating an engaging loyalty program involves facilitating everyday earn and burn opportunities for members so they can extract full benefit from the scheme. And that involves launching new...