Travel Loyalty News

Bob Crandall called it in the late 1970s, saying airline deregulation would be the ruination of U.S. aviation. You can credit the retired American Airlines chairman and CEO with consistency as he argues that airline mergers — and mergers in general — have contributed to capital accumulation at the expense of workers, and the demise of small cities.

In June of 2020, Air Canada and Aeroplan will officially split. Aeroplan last week announced a new strategy and made the case for members to stick with its program after the milestone parting.

Aeroplan is laying out a case for members of its loyalty program to stick around after its split from Air Canada in 2020. And for those who don't care about elite status, it may not a bad deal.

Flight attendants on United will have both a stricter mandate and a stronger incentive to pitch the airline's new co-branded credit card.

Perhaps there is such thing as a free lunch. It just requires a Priority Pass membership.

It'd be so much more interesting to see if and how this kind of biometrics data can truly inform our travel experiences.

Amazon is posing a threat. Chinese tourists are spotted everywhere and the loyalty war is getting ever more intense. Common threads? It's a disruptive phase for travel that requires nimble strategies.

There's so much more AccorHotels could be doing with its loyalty program, including integrating it with its Accor Local mobile app. For now, however, the company seems more focused on making sure it doesn't upset any elite loyalty members from Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel.

Hyatt's new World of Hyatt credit card launched Thursday does a better job of targeting younger and thriftier travelers. Big spenders, on the other hand, may be unhappy with some of the new perks.

Subscription-based Surf Air's troubles make us question whether the traditional model of airlines and fare pricing can ever be disrupted.