For those of us who are masters at getting upgraded, securing perks and capturing the best deals, the benefits of belonging to an airline or hotel loyalty programme are obvious.
Loyalty programmes have the benefit of improving traveller satisfaction, providing additional value from hotels and airlines, and encouraging travellers to comply with the corporate travel policy of a company. Many companies also allow their travellers to keep the points or rewards they earn when they travel for business for their own personal use – every business mile collected is an opportunity to take the family on holiday.
Yet so many travellers miss out on upgrades and benefits because they’re not accumulating the points they could be when they’re on the road, or they accumulate them without knowing how to redeem them. With so many loyalty programmes available, where do you even start?
“Quite often a loyalty programme is going to be influenced by the destinations to which you would travel frequently – the airline and hotel partners that provide travel in these destinations would be your likely choice of loyalty programme partner. But in destinations that are served by multiple airlines and hotel brands, the detail of what is offered then becomes interesting, which is why you need to understand what is important to the organisation and your individual travellers,” explains Corporate Traveller South Africa GM Oz Desai.
In addition to traveller loyalty programmes, many airlines offer corporate reward schemes, which are usually completely free to join and require no minimum spend. British Airways, for example, allows travellers to earn points each time they fly with British Airways, American Airlines, Iberia and their eligible partners, which can be spent on cabin upgrades and reward flights.
If you book flights using British Airways American Express Corporate Card or Corporate Card Plus, you can earn 50% more points. Meanwhile, any staff signed up to BA’s Executive Club will continue to earn Avios points as they fly.
Here are a few more benefits you could enjoy when signing up to the British Airways “On Business” loyalty programme:
- It’s free to join and available to companies of all sizes
- Earn On Business points with American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia, which can be redeemed for reward flights and upgrades
- Choose money off selected flights across our global network
- Fly On Business and continue to earn personal Avios through the Executive Club, Iberia Plus or Avios Programme
- Enjoy a welcome bonus of triple On Business Points, as well as other exclusive member-only offers
Contact your Corporate Traveller expert today to find out more on maximising your loyalty programmes.
Find out more benefits of airline reward schemes and the best ways to manage your reward schemes to maximise your returns