Over the past several years, airlines in the U.S. have gorged on easy business, many making money hand over fist. This led to some brazen liberties taken by three of major U.S. airlines to devalue their loyalty programs. The logic was simple: they were making tons of money, so what need was there for a compelling loyalty program that actually drove loyalty? And of course, there was the addition of basic economy fares, which punished elite travelers who were forced…
In an unexpected move, South American carrier LATAM announced it will be lowering its elite frequent flyer qualification requirements in order to retain high-value flyers that did not make it through the latest requirements hike in 2018. The news was first reported by Argentinean blog Sir Chandler. The new changes…
Last week, two announcements were made in Argentina's Official Gazette by Aerolíneas Argentinas, as required by law. The Argentine flag carrier issued a technical document that listed the problems and challenges with its loyalty program, Arplus, identified as a challenge that could not be solved by any local consulting firm. The second…
Disclaimer: This article contains opinions from the author based on his personal experiences with this topic In 1972, United Airlines, with help from Western Direct Marketing, created the first true airline frequent flyer program. Members received special plaques, among other things, but that was just the beginning. Over the course…
