Why Indian Hotels and Airlines Are Taking a Slice of Food Delivery Apps

Key Points

• Indian hotels and airlines are increasingly partnering with food delivery and e-commerce platforms to boost loyalty program engagement and customer retention.
• Marriott, IndiGo, Air India, and others are diversifying loyalty offerings, targeting digital-savvy and non-metro audiences through strategic tie-ups.
• While loyalty program memberships are growing rapidly due to incentives and partnerships, their long-term effectiveness in generating revenue and genuine loyalty remains uncertain.

Summary

Indian hotels and airlines are expanding their loyalty programs by forming partnerships with popular food delivery and e-commerce platforms like Swiggy and Flipkart. These collaborations aim to make loyalty programs more relevant to everyday consumer habits, especially among digital-savvy users beyond major cities. While such tie-ups have led to a surge in loyalty memberships and broader brand reach, industry leaders question whether these programs truly foster long-term customer loyalty or simply drive sign-ups through discounts and incentives.