First Published on 14th April, 2017
Buying a book, paying for utility bills or car fuel etc via an airline loyalty card and getting rewarded isn’t new for customers. But partners in such coalition loyalty program need to move away from operating with the “silo” approach to making the most of emanating data in a collaborative and cohesive manner.
Airlines, as program operators, need to consider the real-time quotient in passenger experience, and for this, all partners needs to deftly manage accrual and redemption of points/ miles in real-time (focus on their value, location, yield etc.) “(As an airline) Try to understand your partner’s (core offering and capabilities) and enable them to build their own loyalty accrual within your loyalty program, using your currency, says Piotr Kozlowski, VP Consulting, Services Sector, Airline/ Travel Loyalty at Comarch.
Every aspect of the program needs to be relevant, contextual – for instance, targeted promotions from a relevant partner, efficient use of APIs for quick integration to various systems, such as enrolment API, point – status check API etc. “Data is a key enabler in taking the program forward,” agreed Kozlowski. A key aspect of data relates to crafting the profile of the customer, incorporating information about key traits like their shopping preferences. Be it for pushing the right ancillary product to a traveller or getting stock keeping unit data from the partner in the program, the benefits are immense and enables to build analytics, reports etc. This all can pave way for being a part of travellers’ lifestyle.
“If you look at the travel-related coalition loyalty program, they are encompassing certain lifestyle (elements). By nature, travel brands tend to be premium brands. It is, of course, a kind of magic to match the high-street brands or online brands with the brand positioning of the program operator. The customer definitely wants to consolidate their commercial activity, especially pertaining to brands that inspire (or they aspire to have with them). Travel brands with premium or less premium brands on high-street is something that can drive the program forward (based on monetary-driven accrual levels).
Gain an insight into the latest trends at the 3rd Co-Brand Conference, to be held in Atlanta, US (22-24 May, 2017)
Follow Ai on Twitter: @Ai_Connects_Us
