Frequent Flier Programs
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Delta’s SkyMiles Changes Make Sense Despite Angering Everyone
This is not a points and miles blog, and I do not personally care one bit about airline status. With that background,…
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Cranky on the Web: Podcasts a Plenty on a Miserable Summer, Loyalty Programs, and More
You may have noticed I haven’t put up a Cranky on the Web post in awhile. That is by design. It seemed…
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American Announces the End of the Frequent Flier Program With Elite Status That Can Be Earned Without Flying
Beginning with elite qualifying for 2023, American will scrap the current elite qualifying system and now create something called Loyalty Points which…
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How Loyalty Programs Make Money, Courtesy of United
We’ve long known that airlines make big money from their loyalty programs, but the exact structure has been shrouded in secrecy. That…
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An Infrequent Flier Should Never Be Loyal to an Airline
I don’t think I’m overstepping by suggesting that airlines have borderline disdain for infrequent fliers. Even though those people are actually critically…
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United’s Head of Loyalty: Simplicity and Consistency Drive MileagePlus Changes
United rolled out a handful of changes to the MileagePlus program on Friday. There was nothing particularly earth-shattering in this round of…
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Why Won’t American Let Me Use Miles on a Connecting Flight? (Ask Cranky)
It’s time for another Ask Cranky. This one is a follow-up on a post I wrote last December. I read your post…
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American and Alaska Start Behaving More Like Competitors as Partner Ties Loosen
Remember how concerned the Department of Justice (DOJ) was about the American partnership reducing competition if Alaska and Virgin America were allowed…
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United Makes a Partial Move Toward Dynamic Award Pricing On November 1
Happy 4th of July to all my American readers. There will be no post tomorrow since I’ll be busy stuffing myself with…
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3 Links I Love: Airport Mismanagement in Virginia, A Strange Belief on Loyalty, No Golden Age of Travel
This week’s featured link: Records: Former Newport News airport execs spent big on travel – The Daily Press If you haven’t been…
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Air Canada Reverses Course, Leads the Charge to Bring Loyalty Back In-House
There was a trend over the last few years for airlines to try to spin off their loyalty programs into standalone businesses.…
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Thinking About Loyalty and How Today’s Programs Do It Wrong
American’s decision to copy the structure of Delta and United’s so-called “loyalty programs” last week got me thinking about, well, loyalty. These…