Subscribe
Login
Airlines

U.S. Carriers Should Re-Think Gutting Benefits for Their Most Loyal Flyers

Colin Nagy photo
Colin Nagy

Photo Credit: Rendering of sitting area with bar at American Airlines new Admirals Club lounges. Lounges are often still a perk for high-tier loyalty members, but even they are losing out to rival accommodations from third parties including American Express.  American Airlines / American Airlines

Skift Take

Sometimes generosity and taking care of your most loyal customers gives a halo that is not immediately visible, but can have long-term benefits and end up saving your skin.

Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel. “On Experience” dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across hospitality, aviation, and beyond.  Executives at airlines in the United States should go re-read the children’s classic, The Giving Tree. Everyone has the general gist rattling around in the corners of their brain, but the story is about the relationship between a tree and a small boy. One may take an optimistic view on the book, viewing it as a tale about selfless love where the tree gives everything it has. The darker interpretation of the book is exploitative and ends with the tree having nothing more to give aside for a stump for the now-grown child to sit on. Maybe I’m being melodramatic, but there’s

Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.

Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com's trusted coverage of the travel industry.

Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Already a subscriber? Login