British Airways Executive Club members can book flights for £1

In a move to give customers even more choice when spending their Avios, British Airways has announced the latest improvement to its Executive Club loyalty programme by making every one of its flights available from just £1 plus Avios.

When booking any flight or holiday, Avios part payment invites customers to reduce the monetary cost of their booking by selecting the amount of Avios they would like to contribute. Until now, the maximum discount varied depending on multiple factors, whereas the airline is now giving customers the option to reduce their booking to just £1 using Avios.

Using Avios part payment is different to booking a Reward Seat, of which there are a limited number on each flight at a fixed rate. Members booking any flight can use Avios part payment regardless of the seat type, allowing more flexibility, with varying amounts of Avios to contribute.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’ve listened to our Members’ feedback and we’re really excited to be introducing this latest update for them. We know that most of our customers choose the lowest cash amount when it comes to making Reward Flight bookings, so we anticipate this to be a popular option for those using Avios part payment too. Ultimately, our goal is to keeping adding more choice and flexibility for Members.”

Last year, British Airways Holidays introduced Avios part payment, with holiday package bookings starting from £1 + Avios.

Members using Avios part payment towards their booking will still collect Avios and Tier Points on their flight as well as any bonus Avios and Tier Points if applicable. Part payment can also be used for flights operated by American Airlines between the UK and North America, and British Airways codeshares with selected partners.

. Special discount limited time offerSave up to 30% now. 
 

Velocity Frequent Flyer amps up Points possibilities with new AGL partnership

Velocity Frequent Flyer and AGL have announced a new partnership that will give millions of Australians the opportunity to earn Velocity Points with AGL electricity or gas plans, to redeem on flights, holiday packages, household items and more.

To celebrate the launch of the new partnership that can benefit Velocity’s almost 12 million members and AGL’s 4.3 million customers, new and existing residential AGL customers in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, where AGL operates, that switch their gas and electricity to the AGL Velocity offer before Sunday 30 June 2024 can earn up to 35,000 Velocity Points over 12 months.^ In Western Australia, where AGL operates, new and existing residential customers that make the switch to the AGL Velocity offer for gas can earn up to 12,500 Velocity Points over 12 months.^

35,000 Velocity Points is enough to book up to five one-way domestic Economy Lite flights with Virgin Australia^^ or redeem on various household, technology, beauty and apparel items at myer.com.au, via the Velocity Reward Store, with Luxury Escapes, and more.

Velocity Frequent Flyer and one of Australia’s leading energy retailers, AGL Energy, have entered into a new strategic partnership giving millions of Australians the opportunity to earn Velocity Points through electricity and gas plans.

The partnership will benefit eligible new and existing residential AGL customers who make the switch to the ‘AGL Velocity offer’^, opening up a new way for members to boost their Velocity Points balance and turn their energy plans into holidays.

Qantas Frequent Flyers will have access to over 20 million more reward seats

Qantas Frequent Flyers will have access to over 20 million more reward seats with the launch of Classic Plus Flight Rewards, a new way for members to use their Qantas Points to book flights.

This change is one of the biggest ever expansions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program in its 35-year history and will make it easier to travel to places like London, Tokyo, New York and Singapore with Qantas Points, even during peak times.

While usually requiring more points than the existing Classic reward seats, Classic Plus will represent some of the best value across the frequent flyer program with much wider availability. Classic Plus reward seats are also eligible for upgrades.

The points required to book Classic Plus reward seats will vary like normal airfares, which means they’ll be lower during off-peak periods or when booking early, and higher during peak periods. During sales and promotions, Classic Plus reward seats may drop below a Classic reward seat on the same route (see tables below).

Classic Plus reward seats can be booked from today on Qantas international flights departing Australia for travel from 1 July 2024 exclusively via qantas.com and will be rolled out across the rest of the airline’s international and domestic network on Qantas-operated flights by the end of the year.

By the end of calendar year 2024, when Classic Plus has fully launched across the international and domestic network, members will have had access to 20 million new reward seats for travel across the rolling 12-month booking window. There will be a similar level of availability on an ongoing basis.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said frequent flyers have more ways than ever to earn points and a new flight reward option would open up more value for frequent flyers wanting to use their growing points balances on travel.

“The Qantas Frequent Flyer program is an integral part of Qantas and has always been about recognising our customers for their loyalty. We’ve spent a lot of time listening to members about how we can better reward them,” Ms Hudson said.

“We’re adding over 20 million new flight rewards with the launch of a new type of reward seat called Classic Plus. It’s one of the biggest expansions we’ve made to the Frequent Flyer program in its 35-year history.

“The growth and success of Qantas Loyalty is driven by engaged members who earn and redeem points across the frequent flyer program, including with our partners, and that’s why we’re investing in making more seats available to book with points.”

American Airlines enhances inflight connectivity and entertainment, will introduce AAdvantage redemption

American continues to make its high-speed inflight Wi-Fi more accessible and easier to use, whether customers connect to work or browse the internet. From introducing a new way for AAdvantage® members to use their miles to consistently improving the inflight connectivity and entertainment experience, customers can look forward to making the most of their time onboard.

• AAdvantage® members will soon be able to use their miles in even more ways with a new option to redeem for Wi-Fi on board.
• All customers can enjoy ad-sponsored Wi-Fi available across 100% of American’s Viasat domestic narrowbody fleet.
• Regional high-speed Wi-Fi installations kick off this summer, bringing high-speed Wi-Fi to nearly 500 dual-class regional aircraft.
• New inflight content and specially curated channels further enhance entertainment offerings.

Coming soon: redeem miles for Wi-Fi in flight

AAdvantage® members will soon be able to use miles to pay for Wi-Fi on board. American will start rolling out this new ability to redeem miles in the next few weeks on a couple select aircraft. By the summer travel season, all of the airline’s Viasat-equipped narrowbody aircraft will offer this ability to unlock Wi-Fi in exchange for miles. With this enhancement to help loyalty go even further, American continues to deliver on the commitment that travel is better as an AAdvantage® member.

Taking Wi-Fi connectivity to new heights

Once connected, customers can enjoy Wi-Fi even longer with gate-to-gate connectivity on most mainline aircraft, allowing customers to stay connected from the minute they find their seat to when they’re deplaning. and connectivity is only going up from here. Customers looking for a free Wi-Fi option can enjoy ad-sponsored Wi-Fi across 100% of American’s Viasat domestic narrowbody aircraft.

All Wi-Fi connectivity enhancements will be powered by a new design for the Wi-Fi portal that customers use inflight, rolling out throughout the year. The new Wi-Fi portal design will further enhance the customer experience by making Wi-Fi offerings even more accessible for customers with a user-friendly Wi-Fi purchase process with fewer clicks and effective direct-to-customer communication through strategic pop-up messaging. The portal will also make content easier to navigate through a sleeker design, providing an aesthetically pleasing experience that highlights American’s Wi-Fi, entertainment and partner offers on a single page.

Reimagining Loyalty to Forge Deeper Connections in a World of Choice Overload

Loyalty strategies are undergoing a period of transformation in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace as brands vie for the attention of consumers amid an ever-increasing number of loyalty programmes. 

Loyalty market projected to quadruple in growth by 2030, as programmes in travel and retail sectors show high levels of ancillary income and maintaining of customer loyalty.

IAG Loyalty report ‘Reimagining Loyalty to Engage Today’s Consumers’ looks at how brands can build emotional connections, simplify reward experience and extend value across customer journey.

Expert insights from senior figures at Sainsbury’s, Finnair and IHG One Rewards confirm a “golden age of loyalty”.

With a shift away from programmes that solely focus on consumers earning points through purchase, to ones that integrate into the life and routine of consumer spending, the global loyalty management market is set to grow from $6.47 billion in 2023 to $28.65 billion by 2030. 

IAG Loyalty’s ‘Reimagining Loyalty to Engage Today’s Consumers’ looks at how brands can win this war for attention and provide a loyalty programme experience that harnesses future-proofing techniques and strategies to not just attract customers, but create a deeper, more meaningful connection with them. 

Emirates Skywards announces exclusive, multi-year partnership with Visa

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, has announced an exclusive, multi-year strategic partnership with Visa, a world leader in digital payments.

 

The new partnership with Visa will strengthen collaboration between Emirates Skywards and co-brand issuer partners across the GCC; enable the loyalty programme to work more closely with its partners on personalization and data-driven decision making; improve digitization and innovation; and increase opportunities for more personalised rewards and products on co-brand card propositions.

The agreement was signed in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, and senior executives from both Emirates and Visa.

Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: “We’re excited to announce this landmark partnership with Visa – a strategic agreement which will unlock incremental value for our loyal members across the GCC and will tighten our collaboration with our banking partners in the region. This agreement is a major milestone for Emirates Skywards as it continues to lead the industry with innovative digital-first products and experiences.” 

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for GCC at Visa, added: "This multi-year exclusive deal with Emirates Skywards, one of the largest of its kind worldwide and the largest in scale in the region, is a testament to Visa's global leadership in travel co-brands and a significant milestone in our journey to enhance the payment experience for travelers worldwide. Here in the UAE, our Global Travel Intentions study revealed that 70% of outbound travelers consider digital payments integral to a secure and rewarding travel experience. This large-scale partnership is a step towards fulfilling that need and we are thrilled with this opportunity to work with Emirates in bringing new experiences to Visa cardholders in the UAE and GCC.’’

Strategic partnership between two global brands

This strategic partnership between two global brands will drive growth for both organisations; increase investments into the co-brand programme; and open new opportunities for Emirates Skywards to work closely with financial partners across the region. Members will benefit from personalised rewards and enhanced travel opportunities through the optimised use of data, technology, and resources.

Emirates Skywards and Visa co-branded cardholders can look forward to an improved customer journey and exclusive offers including accelerating Miles earning opportunities; customized promotions; and other experiences tailored to member preferences.

One of the world’s most valued loyalty programmes

WestJet Group refinances majority of existing term loan facility secured by WestJet Rewards loyalty program and WestJet's brand

WestJet Group Inc. announced that it extended the maturity of the substantial majority of its term loan borrowings to 2031. WestJet did so by entering into a new secured term loan facility, capitalizing on its ratings upgrade and its strong financial performance, which exceeded its pre-COVID earnings.

"We are very pleased with this innovative structure, secured by our loyalty program and brand," said WestJet Group Chief Financial Officer Mike Scott. "This opportunistic refinancing transaction enhances our financial flexibility and was oversubscribed, which is reflective of the strength of the WestJet Rewards Loyalty program and the WestJet brand."

WestJet's liquidity is in excess of $2 billion and its pro forma adjusted net leverage ratio at year-end 2023 was approximately three times adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

TD and Air Canada celebrate the 10th anniversary of Aeroplan partnership with a compilation of the top travel trends for 2024

For more than a decade TD has offered TD Aeroplan co-brand credit cards helping Canadians earn Aeroplan points and get to their travel goals faster

The Toronto-Dominion Bank is celebrating a 10-year milestone as the primary credit card issuer for Aeroplan, Canada's Top Airline Loyalty Program. The first TD Aeroplan credit cards were issued in January 2014, and have provided more than 1 million Canadians with accelerated Aeroplan point-earning potential, Air Canada travel benefits and flexible redemption options ever since:1 

TD Aeroplan credit cardholders have travelled to over 1,800 destinations worldwide with Air Canada and 45+ partners2

Aeroplan members earned over 300 billion Aeroplan points on TD Aeroplan credit cards1

TD Aeroplan credit cardholders have redeemed more than 6 million rewards2. They're redeeming not just on flight rewards for big destinations, but also for short-haul flights for as few as 6,000 points3, car rentals, hotels, everyday purchases like Starbucks rewards and more

“We’re thrilled to have achieved this significant milestone with Air Canada. Canadians have come to rely on TD Aeroplan credit cards as one of the fastest ways to earn rewards, and enjoy benefits to help them travel better,” said Meg McKee, Senior Vice President, Canadian Card Payments, Loyalty & Personal Lending, “Whether it’s the ever popular free first checked bag, Maple Leaf Lounge TM access or Priority Airport Services that come with select cards, TD Aeroplan cardholders are enjoying a travel loyalty program experience that only teaming up with Canada’s flag carrier can bring.”​ 

Reflecting on this 10-year milestone, some emerging travel trends that are expected to continue into 2024 include2:

Going Further, Staying Longer: Travellers are checking more off their bucket list with long stays at more far-off destinations like Thailand, Australia and Singapore. They’re investing more, but also using features, like Aeroplan’s a 4th Night Free, to make extended stays more affordable. 

Chasing Stars: Moments in pop culture are influencing destination choices. Whether they’re jet setting off to an arena concert or visiting the shoot location of their favourite hotel-based drama series, show business inspiration is bringing travellers to a wider range of destinations.

The American Airlines AAdvantage program continues to lead the travel rewards industry in 2024

The award-winning AAdvantage® program is the largest and world's first loyalty program that gives members access to unparalleled experiences, with more ways to earn and use miles, and more rewards and status benefits.

“There has never been a better time to be a member in the award-winning AAdvantage program. American has built a travel rewards program that’s simple and rewarding for everyone,” said Scott Chandler, American’s Senior Vice President of Loyalty and Revenue Management. “We have one goal in mind: offer the best loyalty rewards program, unmatched. This means delivering true value for our members through rewards and the best experiences based on their engagement in the program.”

Throughout the new program year beginning March 1, 2024, American Airlines will continue to enhance the program so that loyalty with American goes even further for AAdvantage® members. Visit aa.com/programchanges to learn more about these updates and when they begin.

Earning made easy: AAdvantage® members have so many ways to earn miles and Loyalty Points

An AAdvantage® membership is your best travel companion. With recent additions to the AAdvantage® program like AAdvantage HotelsTM and AAdvantage EventsTM, members have more opportunities to earn rewards faster. And coming soon, members can earn miles when they pay with cash to upgrade to a premium cabin.

American is also adding a new Loyalty Point Reward choice: Get additional Loyalty Points toward AAdvantage® status, starting at the 15,000 Loyalty Point Reward level.

Loyalty Points needed to reach AAdvantage status and Loyalty Point Reward levels will stay the same for the upcoming qualification year. The status qualification year for 2024 begins on March 1, 2024, and runs through February 28, 2025. The breakdown of status and reward levels are on aa.com.

Aeroplan earns top honours with Canada's Choice 2023 Travel Loyalty Awards

 

                                     Air Canada's Aeroplan Loyalty program had another strong showing in the RewardsCanada.ca Canada's Choice 2023 Awards, with Aeroplan and its credit card partners taking home top honours in four categories, including for Top Airline Loyalty Program once again. A record turnout of loyalty members across Canada took to voting for the top loyalty programs and credit cards in Canada.

"Bringing these Canada's Choice awards home reflects Aeroplan's commitment to becoming Canada's favourite travel rewards program and having Canada's best travel rewards credit cards. We proudly share this recognition with our employees, our partners and our 8 million plus active Aeroplan members in Canada and around the world," said Scott O'Leary, Vice President, Loyalty and Product at Air Canada.  

In the Canada's Choice 2023 competition, Aeroplan and its partners won in the following categories:

Top Airline Loyalty Program (Aeroplan) 

Top Overall Travel Rewards Credit Card (TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card)

Top Airline Credit Card (TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card)

Top Ultra Premium Credit Card (TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card)

"The results of this year's voting demonstrate the prowess that the large loyalty programs and credit card issuers have," said Patrick Sojka, Founder of Rewards Canada, "It's been the strongest year yet with more than 82,000 people voting for their favourite programs, almost four times the number of votes in 2022."

Aeroplan continues to roll out new ways to earn rewards and to work with partners to unlock exclusive benefits that make it a must-have travel companion whether you travel a little or a lot.

In addition, Aeroplan Credit Cardholders earn rewards fast, with points adding up for every dollar spent, with exclusive benefits that include preferred pricing on Air Canada flight rewards among other benefits.

Since relaunching in 2020, Aeroplan has continued to deliver world-class partnerships for its members. On top of its industry-leading, 45+ airline partners for flight rewards, the program has expanded to retail partners like Starbucks and Ontario's LCBO, and additional travel partners like Uber to deliver excellent regular offers. It also recently launched HotelSavers, through which Aeroplan makes available over 7,000 points hotels around the world to choose from, giving members more ways than ever to redeem their Aeroplan points.

Delta shares modifications, new benefits to SkyMiles loyalty program

Delta shared several updates to its SkyMiles Program Wednesday, modifying some of the changes announced in September and adding several new benefits.

“Over the past few weeks, many of you have shared feedback about the changes we announced to Delta’s SkyMiles Program,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote in an email to customers. “It’s been a challenge to balance the growth of our membership with our need to deliver premium service experiences. We made some difficult program decisions to address this issue…. But your response made clear that the changes did not fully reflect the loyalty you have demonstrated to Delta. Based on your feedback, we are making program adjustments and adding new benefits to begin earning in 2024 toward your 2025 Status."

Here’s a rundown of the changes and new program features:

More Accessible Medallion Status Requirements

To make the requirements for achieving 2025 Medallion Status more accessible, Delta has reduced the number of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) for each tier:

Diamond Medallion Status: $28,000 MQDs (down from $35,000)

Platinum Medallion Status: $15,000 MQDs (down from $18,000)

Gold Medallion Status: $10,000 MQDs (down from $12,000)

Silver Medallion Status: $5,000 MQDs (down from $6,000)

Members with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Reserve Business, Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Business American Express Cards will also receive an MQD Headstart of $2,500 MQDs for the current Medallion Qualification Year.

Customers may earn MQDs through Delta flights, Delta Vacations packages, and purchases on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Cards. Car rentals and hotel/vacation rentals booked through Delta Car Rentals and Delta Stays will not earn MQDs toward Medallion Status.1

American Airlines introduces AAdvantage Business, a simple and rewarding program for businesses and their travellers

 

                                American Airlines continues to make travel more rewarding by introducing a new business loyalty program. The first program of its kind, AAdvantage Business rewards both eligible companies and their travellers with AAdvantage miles and additional Loyalty Points for booking business travel on aa.com or on the American Airlines app. AAdvantage Business™ offers a faster pathway to a more rewarding experience for companies and travellers alike.

“American has built something no one else offers,” said Scott Laurence, American’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Retailing. “We want to reward both the companies doing business with us and the traveler who’s actually flying in the airplane seat. It’s a win-win. We’ve designed a simple program that goes above and beyond in delivering rewards and tools that benefit everyone.”

In addition, companies who apply and are approved for the CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard will earn more rewards even faster.

AAdvantage Business is a simple, convenient loyalty program for businesses of at least five employees, without any minimum spending requirement for the company to start earning miles.

JR Technologies and IAG Loyalty partner to provide a multi-product retailing solution to the airline industry

The industry-first B2C solution incorporates modern airline retailing concepts, creating a better transaction experience and boosting revenue

JR Technologies, a pioneer in airline retailing, has partnered with IAG Loyalty (IAGL), a leader in loyalty who own and manage Avios, the global loyalty currency of the Aer Lingus AerClub, the British Airways Executive Club and other international airlines, to offer a comprehensive, simplified loyalty booking solution, including one of the airline industry's first multi-product shopping carts with loyalty currency + cash settlement capability.

IAGL uses JR Technologies' Aerostream platform, specifically its Order Management solution, to create a streamlined multi-product shopping flow, resulting in a seamless and fast checkout experience for the traveller.

The technology enables travellers and members to earn and redeem Avios on each product in their cart, including flights, hotels, and ancillary products, all within the same transaction. Additionally, travellers and members have the option to pay for individual products with cash, the Avios currency or a combination of both. IAGL also uses the Aerostream Offer Management platform for its hotel and car rental products.

Aerostream, JR Technologies' latest travel technology solution, is a highly configurable retailing platform developed for airlines and the travel industry. Built on NDC and ONE Order concepts, Aerostream's Offer and Order Management solutions provide the foundation for an effortless travel booking and post-booking experience incorporating e-commerce best practices that have upgraded online retailing in other industries.

Aeroplan Introduces Fourth Night Free Hotel Offer for all Aeroplan Credit Cardholders

• New offer allows all Aeroplan Credit Cardholders to enjoy a free hotel night for every four-night consecutive stay booked with points
• Aeroplan is the first loyalty program to offer unlimited Fourth Night Free benefits to both Canadian and U.S. Credit Cardholders
• Offer available to all Aeroplan co-brand Credit Cardholders

Starting today, an Aeroplan Credit Card gets you more out of your vacation — with a free night for every four-night consecutive stay booked with points. With the launch of its latest hotel rewards extension, Aeroplan becomes the first airline rewards loyalty program credit card to offer an unlimited Fourth Night Free offer to credit cardholders in Canada and the U.S., making it the go-to travel rewards program for more than just flights.

"When we launched HotelSavers last year, we set out to build a best-in-class hotel rewards lineup to match our best-in-class flight rewards," said Scott O'Leary, Vice President, Loyalty and Product at Air Canada. "With this unlimited Fourth Night Free offer, our members can now stay longer with their Aeroplan points, taking their travel budgets even further."  

Aeroplan Credit Cardholders can choose from hundreds of thousands of stays for every budget from major hotel brands. With no cap or blackouts, credit cardholders can stack free nights when they book more with points, and those booking a four-night consecutive stay will only need to redeem Aeroplan points for three nights. For an eight-night consecutive stay, credit cardholders need only redeem Aeroplan points for six nights. Aeroplan's Fourth Night Free offer calculates savings based on the average points cost of all four nights for maximum value.

Finnair to move its loyalty programme to Avios in 2024.

The former legacy airline of Finland,  the Helsinki-based Finnair is joining forces with IAG Loyalty to fully renew and update its Finnair Plus loyalty programme by introducing Avios as its new loyalty currency in early 2024. 

Partnering with IAG Loyalty to adopt Avios will bring new opportunities for existing and new Finnair Plus members to collect and use the programme’s new loyalty currency.  The airline has also announced that its programme will also move to a new spend-based platform as it seeks to outsource almost all functions of administration.  

The partnership is the next step in the expansion of the Avios currency worldwide, ensuring the 40 million+ members can enjoy Avios on even more routes and on even more rewarding experiences. 

It follows last year’s ground-breaking partnership between IAG Loyalty and Qatar Airways that saw the airline join British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling as adopters of Avios. 

IAG Loyalty CEO, Adam Daniels, said: “Finnair’s adoption of Avios is recognition of the global significance of our currency, the incredible value and the wide range of benefits it has for members. We are delighted to be able to play a central role in a new era for Finnair’s loyalty programme, as we continue to grow the Avios currency globally and extend our leadership in loyalty.” 

Finnair says that as an extra incentive to join Finnair Plus its members will now also receive complimentary internet access for messaging on its short-haul European flights operated on the carrier's Airbus aircraft - regardless of their tier status.  

The Finnair Plus programme was launched in 1992 and the airline says has over four million members, although it is unknown how many are active travellers or the exact liability amount of their accounts.  

Finnair SVP Customer Engagement, Rogier Van Enk said: “2024 marks the start of an exciting era for our loyalty program, with new benefits and improved options for our members to use Avios - both within Finnair and within IAG Loyalty’s partner network. We look forward to a great and long-lasting partnership for many years to come.” 

As part of the changes, Finnair will also increase the number of award seats available on its flights, in many cases, double as the airline will guarantee at least 4 award seats on Finnair flights within Europe and 8 on Finnair long-haul flights. 

Finnair Plus award points will be converted to Avios with a 3:2 ratio, and the purchasing power of the current points remains unchanged – Avios prices are also updated with the same 3:2 ratio.  

The new loyalty currency, Avios, will be collected, and members will be able to move from one tier to another based on the money spent on Finnair’s flights and travel extras. Tier limits will be revised to reflect the switch to Avios and the new spend-based earn of tier points. Collecting tier points and loyalty currency on partner-marketed or operated flights will continue to be based on the travel class, booking class, and distance flown. The new programme will work on miles rather than kilometres, flown.

Finnair Plus members will be able to earn Avios when they shop online with thousands of leading brands via shopping.ba.com and with IAG Loyalty’s growing list of partners around the world that range from BP, Nectar, and Uber in the UK, Areas airport retail, and Cabify in Spain and Bilt in the US.  

IAG Loyalty currently partners with over 125 leading global brands such as American Express, Nectar, Uber and Marriott.

British Airways making changes to how customers can collect Avios .......

British Airways has announced that the way customers collect Avios will be updated from 18 October 2023, including the ability to collect Avios on ancillary purchases for the first time.

The way British Airways Executive Club Members collect Avios is transforming from 18 October 2023, offering Members a transparent, consistent and simplified way to collect Avios

Under the new collection model, Members can earn up to nine Avios per £1 spent, depending on their Tier status

From the same date, additional enhancements will allow Members to collect Avios on ancillary purchases, such as upgrades and pre-paid seat selection

It means that customers will soon be able to collect Avios when purchasing additional items such as upgrades, pre-paid seat selection and excess baggage, either in advance or at the airport. The amount of Avios collected per flight will be based on the amount paid rather than distance travelled, in a more consistent and clearer approach.

Members booking flights from 18 October 2023 will collect the following Avios depending on their Tier status:

Blue members will receive 6 Avios per qualifying* £1 spent

Bronze members will receive 7 Avios per qualifying £1 spent

Silver members will receive 8 Avios per qualifying £1 spent

Gold members will receive 9 Avios per qualifying £1 spent

This new model will also apply to flights marketed by Iberia**.

JetBlue launches new TrueBlue loyalty programme

JetBlue has just launched its new TrueBlue loyalty programme, offering members more value with the introduction of tiles, Perks You Pick™, expanded levels of Mosaic and more ways to earn perks and status than ever before. The programme, announced last year, builds on TrueBlue’s award-winning features that customers have come to love while expanding to offer members new opportunities to earn perks and status whether in the air or on the ground. With this reimagined loyalty program, JetBlue has set the bar sky-high as a travel brand with new industry-leading rewards for more customers to earn and enjoy.

“As JetBlue grows, we maintain our commitment to delivering innovative programmes and products that provide our customers withgreat service and low fares, which is why we are thrilled to launch the new TrueBlue loyalty programme,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of marketing and loyalty, JetBlue. “The new TrueBlue comes at the perfect time as we prepare not only to become a bigger JetBlue, but a travel partner that brightens all aspects of the journey by offering our customers more choices, perks and ways to earn rewards.”

“JetBlue is continuing our legacy of disrupting travel for the better with unique, customer-first programmes such as the new TrueBlue,” said Christopher Buckner, vice president of loyalty and partnerships, JetBlue. “The new TrueBlue redefines what it means to be a loyalty programme by offering new and exciting perks to more customers, as well as providing more ways to attain perks and status.”

“We’re excited that our travel sites Paisly.com and JetBlue Vacations are fully integrated into the new TrueBlue so that members can rack up rewards along their journey—when booking flights and beyond,” said Andres Barry, president, of JetBlue Travel Products. “Moving forward, when a customer books a car rental or activity on Paisly, or a flight + cruise or hotel package with JetBlue Vacations, they will earn TrueBlue points towards their next trip and earn tiles to get them closer to one of their next Perks You Pick."

Aeroplan partners with Uber Eats Canada

Air Canada loyalty programme Aeroplan has partnered with Uber Canada in order to give members the opportunity to earn even more from linking their Aeroplan with their Uber/Uber Eats account in Canada.

Starting tomorrow the deal will see Aeroplan members earning 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on eligible orders in the Grocery and Retail sections of the Uber Eats app, with no minimum spend required. 

The launch provides a new way to earn Aeroplan points with national and regional grocers and retailers. In addition, members can take advantage of the following offers after linking their Aeroplan account with their Uber/Uber Eats account in Canada:

Launch offer: 5X Aeroplan points on their next grocery or retail delivery order with Uber Eats from May 3 until May 31;

New 250-point monthly bonus: Members will earn an additional 250 bonus Aeroplan points when completing an eligible ride (premium or airport ride), a restaurant food delivery order of $40* or more, and an eligible order from the Grocery or Retail section through Uber and Uber Eats in the same calendar month, every month – an Uber hat trick! 

New eater bonus: 1,000 bonus Aeroplan points when members open their first Uber Eats account, and complete their first eligible order from the Restaurant, Retail, or Grocery sections in the Uber Eats app;

11th year in a row American Airlines wins at the Freddie Awards.....

For the 11th consecutive year, the American Airlines AAdvantage programme was recognized as the Best Elite Programme in the Americas during the 2023 Freddie Awards, held last evening at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington D.C.

“The Freddie Awards are one of the most prestigious awards in travel loyalty. To be recognized as the best of the best by our loyal AAdvantage members 11 times is special to us,” said Scott Chandler, American’s Vice President of Revenue Management and Loyalty. “Our team is dedicated to designing a program to help members achieve their travel goals and earn more rewards before and between status tiers. This vote of confidence from our members confirms we’re on the right path, and it will inspire us as we continue to advance the program.”

Since 1988, the Freddie Awards have recognized achievements in the travel loyalty industry in the Americas, Europe and Africa, the Middle East and Asia/Oceania. The awards, which honour both airline and hotel loyalty programs, are based entirely on votes from travellers around the world. Ballots are available in more than ten languages and this year more than 9 million votes were cast worldwide.

The AAdvantage program is free to join and gives members access to some of the best that American offers. Members can enjoy benefits like the ability to manage trips and credits with ease, earn miles towards reward travel and access to exclusive promotions.

Norwegian wins for its Reward loyalty programme....

Norwegian Reward wins international award for best loyalty programme

The people at European budget airline Norwegian are celebrating after its loyalty programme, Norwegian Reward, was named the best loyalty programme at the Freddie Awards. These awards are among the travel industry’s most internationally acclaimed accolades.  The company also received an award in the categories Best Promotion and Best Customer Service. 

Norwegian has won a Freddie Award in the categories Programme of the Year, Best Promotion and Best Customer Service. Norwegian was nominated in no less than six categories. The Freddie Awards are the largest annual global awards for loyalty programs within the travel industry. The ceremony was held in Washington D.C.

“Winning a Freddie Award truly is a great honour. This is a true recognition of our loyalty programme as the award is based entirely on members’ votes. We’ve been working hard to keep giving our loyal members better flights for less and we are particularly excited that this award coincides with the launch of our renewed Reward programme in May,” said May Haukedahl Wilson, VP Loyalty and Partnerships at Norwegian.