Frequent flyer programs
Photo: 太陽のアーク, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A frequent flyer program(me) is a type of loyalty program run by an airline or several airlines in conjunction, rewarding frequent passengers with extras and bonuses, and providing facilities aiding air travel with the sponsoring airline or airlines. The history of modern frequent flyer programs started in 1970s and involved rapid evolution and expansion around the world. Most programs have similar designs.
Although frequent flyer programs offer attractive benefits to those who participate, those are mostly available only to the truly frequent flyers, who not only fly frequently but also spend a lot of money on air travel. Fulfilling the conditions required to get most benefits can be hard for a casual traveller, and the frequent flier programs are intended to divert from seeking optimal solutions, such as using competing carriers or purchasing the cheapest tickets. Navigating through the peculiarities of frequent flier programs can require much research and attention in order to maximize your benefits and avoid pitfalls.
Principles and economics of operationAs in many other retail industries, airlines set aside a certain percentage of income from every ticket sold to fund a loyalty scheme to reward recurring customers.
Air milesThe most usual feature of a frequent flyer programme is that a participant collects "air miles" or "points" for every flight segment flown.
Frequent flyer statusA second type of benefits, and one of the most coveted, is the frequent flyer status that is usually awarded to those participants of the programme that fulfill certain conditions.
Other conveniencesWhile ostensibly the attraction of frequent flyer programmes is the possibility to earn awards and acquire the status, there are also other systematic benefits that are available to all participants and can be a reason…
Frequent flyer quirks and catchesUnlike many simpler loyalty schemes in other industries which, in principle, simply reward you proportionally to the amount of money spent with a given retailer or brand, airline frequent flyer programmes evolved into…
Corporate loyalty schemese.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Frequent flyer programs" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: 太陽のアーク, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons