All you need to know this week about loyalty & CX: Happy Ramadan • Emirates • Alaska Airlines • Malaysia Airlines • Saudia • airBaltic • Lufthansa • Etihad • Qatar Air • ITA • Priority Pass • Air India • Air France • Expedia • Marriott • IHG • Hyatt • Loyal Solutions • Choice Hotels • Wyndham • Norwegian • Seabourn • 7eleven • Uber Eats • Robinhood • Alipay • PayU • ibs • Mastercard • American Express • Loyalty reports • Loyalty jobs listings.
GLOAirlines & Alliances:
 |
The partnership between MAB and NCLH aims to offer travelers transformative journeys beyond boundaries, enhancing their travel experiences. This collaboration is particularly timely as Norwegian Cruise Line recently resumed its operations in Asia.
|
||
 |
Alaska Airlines welcomes STARLUX Airlines to Seattle, our hometown airport Seattle becomes STARLUX’s third nonstop U.S. destination from Taipei with its world-class service and amenities; premier carrier is one of our newest global airline partners
|
||
 |
Saudia signs agreement with SDAIA This partnership allows AlFursan loyalty program members to contribute their miles to charitable causes through Ehsan.
|
||
 |
A glimpse of the future – airBaltic tests SpaceX’s Starlink Internet With plans to equip its entire A220-300 fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink inflight connectivity system, airBaltic aims to provide every passenger with seamless, high-speed internet access throughout their journey without hassles or login pages. From boarding to landing, internet access will be available to all passengers.
|
||
 |
Capital A partners with Trip.com Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Trip.com Group, expressed excitement about leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences, emphasising the positive outcomes since the initial agreement in 2020.
|
||
 |
Local cuisine takes to the skies with Lufthansa Group Lufthansa reintroduced Japanese food for in-flight meals on flights to and from Japan in late 2023. Japanese cuisine is now available in all classes on Lufthansa and in Business class on SWISS.
|
||
 |
Etihad Airways celebrates inaugural flight to Boston Boston is now the airline’s fourth destination in the United States, joining Chicago, New York and Washington, along with services to Toronto in Canada.
|
||
 |
Innovative partnership announced – powered by Loyal Solutions New partnership announced between UnionCoop and Emirates on Emirates Skywards Everyday! Yet another example of the power of Loyal Solutions payment/card-linked technology to enable innovative partnerships has been announced in Dubai.
|
||
 |
Qatar Airways Successfully Concludes its Six Month Expo 2023 Doha Journey The award-winning airline collaborated on a joint venture with Hamad International Airport (DOH) to design and build the impressive Qatar Airways Garden. As one of the most-visited pavilions at Expo, the ‘Qatar Airways Garden’ attracted over 250,000 visitors during the six-month period.
|
||
 |
ITA Airways extends its Loyalty Program to cater to children Children aged 2 to 15 can now join Volare and automatically become members of the AVVENTURA program. Initially, children will be enrolled in the SMART Club and will progress through earning points, gradually advancing to higher tiers like PLUS, PREMIUM, and EXECUTIVE clubs
|
||
 |
Priority Pass names award winners The Priority Pass, operated by Collinson, announces the newly established Priority Pass Excellence Awards winners.
|
||
 |
Your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles go farther with Global Getaways Alaska Airlines are offering savings of up to 50% on award redemptions to select international destinations including partner redemptions. Mileage Plan members can redeem miles throughout April at alaskaair.com for reduced award travel from September through November to an amazing collection of locations.
|
||
 |
Emirates celebrates Eid al Fitr onboard and in lounges Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Eid al Fitr is expected to begin on 10 April, and Emirates will honour the occasion with an array of regional flavours onboard, traditional Eid dishes in the lounges, and new Arabic movies and TV series on ice.
|
||
 |
Air India’s announces major changes to its Flying Returns Program According to a statement by Air India, the revamped loyalty program, named Flying Returns, departs from the traditional miles-based point collection model, opting instead for a more equitable spend-based system.
|
||
 |
dnata Secures Exclusive Inflight Catering Contract with Etihad Airways at Boston Logan Airport dnata’s highly trained teams will produce and uplift more than 125,000 meals annually to ensure a world-class dining experience on board the airline’s four weekly flights to Abu Dhabi, starting 31 March 2024.
|
||
 |
Air France introduces new gourmet delights To create these menus, the chefs work together with Servair, the world leader in in-flight catering, using fresh, local produce that change with the seasons.
|
ㅤ
Hotels & Hospitality:
 |
Both will be reporting directly to incoming CEO Ariane Gorin.
|
||
 |
Ascott’s Global Loyalty Platform ‘Ascott Star Rewards’ Achieved Record Member Revenue Growth In 2023 Celebrates 5th Year of Loyalty Programme with Refreshed Brand Promise ‘Stay Rewarded’ to Offer More Membership Privileges, Elevated Experiences and Greater Value
|
||
 |
TPB’s work plan for the year is to enhance its membership programme so members prosper in the digital age, by learning how to leverage market intelligence through a series of modules.
|
||
 |
IHG Continues to Consolidate Leading Position by Strategically Fostering Market Growth Recently, IHG concluded its “Dream Bigger, Travel Bigger” 2024 Greater China Expo Roadshow in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. This initiative further bolsters the revival of the business travel market and showcases IHG’s robust expansion across Greater China region.
|
||
 |
Marriott Hotels Opens Its First Resort in Perhentian Islands “We are raising the bar in this part of Malaysia with heartfelt service reflecting the Marriott Hotels’ legacy of wonderful hospitality and sharing elevated experiences with the aim to make Perhentian and Terengganu a must-see destination for domestic and international travelers alike.” said Ramesh Jackson, Area Vice President, Malaysia and Indonesia, Marriott International.
|
||
 |
Hyatt’s newest inclusive collection brand debuts with the opening of Hyatt Vivid Grand Island The modern all-suite resort offers a relaxed atmosphere with a host of enriching experiences to complement the resort’s lush surroundings. The newest resort in Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection marks the continued growth of Hyatt’s brand footprint in Mexico with additional openings to follow later this year.
|
||
 |
Trip.com wins spot on Fortune Asia list As today’s travellers are increasingly drawn to unique experiences rather than mere sightseeing, Trip.com Group has diversified its offerings to meet the rising demand.
|
||
 |
Digital Redemption Unlocked: Choice Privileges Makes It Easier for Members to Use Points Choice Privileges continues to offer members many ways to earn points including with co-branded credit cards redeemable for stays at hotels around the world.
|
||
 |
Wyndham Enters Upscale Extended Stay with WaterWalk The deal adds 11 hotels and over 1,500 rooms to the Wyndham ecosystem, rebranding them under the newly created WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, the 25th in Wyndham’s portfolio.
|
||
 |
Marriott Bonvoy introduces Westin brand to Penang The hotel will be Marriott International’s fourth Westin in Malaysia, joining The Westin Kuala Lumpur, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, and The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa.
|
||
 |
Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited Riding Waves of Shift to Experience-Focused Tourism Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited, a leading hospitality and lifestyle company in China, reported robust growth in 2023 fueled by a rebound in domestic travel and its focus on experience-led offerings.
|
||
 |
Hilton Acquires Majority Controlling Interest in Sydell Group This acquisition is to expand NoMad Hotels brand worldwide – a brand which marks Hilton’s debut in fast-growing luxury lifestyle category.
|
ㅤ
Cruises:
 |
Norwegian Cruise Line announces brand-new marketing solution for travel partners Company launches NCL Connect becoming first contemporary cruise line to support travel partner business growth with co-brandable content experiences.
|
||
 |
Seabourn unveils “The Collection”: exclusive cruises featuring unique experiences Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury cruising and expedition travel, is introducing “The Collection,” a series of exclusive sailings featuring unique, one-of-a-kind shoreside experiences that complement the line’s unparalleled, ultra-luxury experiences.
|
ㅤ
Retail, E-commerce, F&B, Healthcare:
 |
PYMNTS study: 41% of U.S. Shoppers Demand Digital Rewards Rewards are the 2nd most important factor for shoppers with 6.2% of the respondents named rewards as the most important factor while shopping.
|
||
 |
7-Eleven, Inc. to Celebrate Upcoming Solar Eclipse with $3 Pizza, Viewing Glasses for Customers Participating 7-Eleven®, Speedway® and Stripes® stores across the U.S. will offer solar eclipse glasses and pizza deals for the rare astronomical event on April 8
|
||
 |
Sprouts loyalty program looks to boost first-party data collection Scheduled for a trial run this summer, the loyalty program of the specialty grocer will function on a points-based model, providing enhanced understanding of shopper habits.
|
||
 |
BurgerFi Celebrates Better Burger Lab Grand Opening in New York City Brand invites Fi-natics to join the celebration on April 4 an exclusive tasting of the Breakfast Everything Bagel Burger and New Fried Chicken Sandwich. The first 100 people will be entered to win a $5,000 BurgerFi gift card. Guests that join the V-Fi-P loyalty program will get a chance to win exclusive BurgerFi NYC swag, gift cards, and more.
|
||
 |
Restaurant brands are utilizing data insights to boost engagement and loyalty. Restaurant brands are increasingly utilising digital technologies not only to adapt to evolving customer preferences but also to foster loyalty and profitability, maintaining a competitive edge.
|
||
 |
Gopuff looks to boost paid memberships As competition intensifies among on-demand delivery platforms to secure consumer loyalty in a crowded market, Gopuff is focusing on rapid order fulfilment to enhance engagement with its most valuable customers.
|
||
 |
Topo Athletic Taps Tantrum Agency As New Creative Agency of Record Partnership to support brand growth and expansion for the rising footwear brand.
|
||
 |
Uber Eats Partners with The Vitamin Shoppe In addition to those cash back rewards from The Vitamin Shoppe, Uber One members will benefit from a $0 Delivery Fee and up to 10% off all eligible orders with a $15 minimum purchase.
|
||
 |
Crown Aesthetics Announces Launch of Prestige Loyalty Program Industry leader rolls out Exclusive Benefits to Existing Customers of SkinPen®, ProGen PRP® Eclipse, Votesse®, and BIOJUVE™
|
||
 |
HARIBO Celebrates New Unicorn-i-licious Gummies with a Sweet Overnight Fan Experience HARIBO, America’s #1 gummi brand, is celebrating its brand-new Unicorn-i-licious gummies by offering fans a one-of-a-kind, overnight experience in New York City this April. Limited availability for two-night stays in HARIBO’s custom unicorn-themed Treat Retreat will go live on National Unicorn Day (April 9), available to claim on a first come, first served basis.
|
ㅤ
Entertainment, Sport, Telecom & Social Media:
 |
Fetch Introduces Rewards for Mobile Gaming Fetch Play, an entirely new rewards-for-gaming experience, marks the first of many pathways for brands to activate and engage consumers within the Fetch ecosystem.
|
ㅤ
Transport, Fuel Retail & Mobility:
 |
Ram and Dodge Brands Take Home 2024 Kelley Blue Book Consumer Choice Awards The 2024 Consumer Choice Awards are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch study. Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch is an online brand and model perception tracking study, which taps into more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on KBB.com.
|
||
 |
Mi Rewards loyalty program has been relaunches… …with a fresh focus on featuring exclusive offers from local businesses.
|
ㅤ
Payments, Finance, Property & Insurance:
 |
The New Gold Standard: Introducing the Robinhood Gold Card The Robinhood Gold Card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and offers 3% cash back on all categories. Members will also earn even more on travel, getting 5% cash back when booking through the Robinhood travel portal. Reward points are then redeemable for travel, giftcards, and shopping at major retailers, or converted into cash.
|
||
 |
Hilton and American Express introduce enhanced Hilton Honors American Express Business Card The enhanced Hilton Honors American Express Business Card follows the recently enhanced Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Aspire Cards, announced in October 2023 to consumer Card Members.
|
||
 |
The new credit cards offer exclusive travel benefits, Marriott Bonvoy Elite status and the ability to earn points on everyday purchases
|
||
 |
Top up your e-wallet for your Japan travels Alipay+, has linked up with 2 million merchants across the country. This integration enables these merchants to enhance their service for international visitors by offering a seamless payment experience compatible with their respective home country e-wallets.
|
||
 |
PayU partners with India’s largest loyalty and engagement company, Loylty Rewardz Through a module called Rewardz Hub, customers from over 20 bank and retail loyalty programs managed by Loylty Rewardz can now also earn & redeem reward points seamlessly on their online transactions processed by PayU.
|
||
 |
360iResearch: Co-branded Credit Card Market Projected to Reach $25.72 billion by 2030 The market for co-branded credit cards is experiencing robust growth, driven by the appeal of substantial discounts, cash-backs, and other rewards among consumers, especially the younger and millennial demographics.
|
||
 |
Chase launches Chase Media Solutions The new media platform delivers customers cash back while helping brands drive sales and business growth.
|
ㅤ
Loyalty Technology, Solutions & Consulting:
 |
Tulip Expands Global Capabilities with 10 New Languages Supporting genuine and inspiring customer engagement in 10 new regions
|
||
 |
Ansira Appoints Desiree Toto As Chief Product And Technology Officer Toto joins the executive leadership team bringing a deep background in marketing, client management, and product development
|
||
 |
nShift partners with Loqate to help retailers build profitability and loyalty nShift and Loqate’s partnership will help retailers to improve first-time delivery rates, ensuring customer satisfaction. Initially, the partnership involves the integration of two different solutions from Loqate.
|
||
 |
Verndale Reaches Crest Partner Status with Salesforce The leading digital experience agency based in Boston, MA, announced its new Crest-level partner status with Salesforce, signifying the agency’s growth, technical expertise, certifications, and sales and alliance success on the platform trusted by over 150,000 customers.
|
||
 |
Omnicom’s Credera creates an unrivaled global MarTech consulting firm The move realigns Credera’s leadership and organization structure to augment services to clients and accelerate investments in end-to-end consulting capabilities, including customer strategy, experience design, modern marketing transformation, and digital and MarTech enablement.
|
||
 |
REMA 1000 Partners with Market Pay to Enhance In-Store Payment Experience The solution enhances loyalty management and shopping experience by enabling customer identification and rewards through their payment cards.
|
||
 |
Acres to demonstrate significant advancements in Casino loyalty Matching data collection capability with Acres’ growing portfolio of Foundation-enabled features, operators can now, for the first time, influence player behaviour in real time to ultimately enhance player loyalty and casino profitability.
|
||
 |
iSeatz Adds Enterprise Loyalty Experts to its Executive Team Wine and Parsons have been consulting with iSeatz since August 2023. Both are veterans of Bridge2 Solutions, an enterprise loyalty SaaS company acquired by InterContinental Exchange/Bakkt in 2020.
|
||
 |
India’s regional airline carrier FLY91 partners with IBS By implementing IBS Software’s modern omni-channel iFly Res commerce platform, FLY91 will not only create a compelling user experience powered by the platform’s rich set of APIs and flexible rules engine, but also deliver dynamic pricing.
|
ㅤ
Reports, Research, Insights & Opinions:
 |
Loyalty Programs Market in Saudi Arabia Anticipated to Grow to US$1.61 Billion, with Strategic Partnerships and Government-Led Initiatives by 2028
|
||
 |
Retail Analytics Market worth $25.0 billion by 2029 – Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™ The study finds that partnerships for innovation, a rising emphasis on sustainability and ethical analytics, supply chain optimisation, in-store analytics, and a focus on data privacy and security will all be critical.
|
||
 |
Over 30% of cardholders choose to receive cash back as their preferred reward option. While it’s a common practice for businesses to cultivate customer loyalty by offering incentives in exchange for purchases, there exists a notable degree of dissatisfaction among cardholders regarding the quality of the rewards they receive.
|
||
 |
Many retailers failing to meet consumers’ loyalty program expectations As retailers strive to satisfy the increasing digital demands of consumers, loyalty programs might pose a challenge, according to research by PYMNTS Intelligence.
|
ㅤ
Jobs & Careers:
 |
MMA Global is hiring: Membership Experience Manager Location: Greater London, England, United Kingdom. Click inside to apply.
|
||
 |
H&M is hiring: Loyalty Program Lead Location: New York, NY, USA. Click inside to apply.
|
||
 |
Ford Otosan is hiring: Loyalty Program Management Team Member Lcation: Istanbul, Turkey. Click inside to apply.
|
||
 |
Location: London, England, United Kingdom. Click inside to apply.
|
||
 |
Rosewood Hotel Group is hiring: Director, Clienteling Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. Click inside to apply.
|
||
 |
Visit Seattle is hiring: Membership Development Manager Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Click inside to apply.
|
ㅤ
