Loyalty programs tips

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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said Tuesday it’s taking steps to improve how companies book and manage group bookings, meetings, events, and business travel at its North American hotels.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, April 4. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Hilton said Tuesday it plans to let travelers book upscale outdoor lodging, or “glamping,” through its website and app later this year thanks to a licensing deal with operator AutoCamp. The hotel group will let members of its loyalty program earn and redeem points at the campsites run by AutoCamp, featuring amenity-filled tents, cabins, and Airstream trailers.

Marriott said Monday that the 200 millionth person had joined its loyalty program as the company aims to retain its title as having the world’s largest hotel rewards program.

Expedia CEO Peter Kern pled his case to hotel owners Monday: Take seriously the billion-dollar issue of wholesale rates being misused online.

As it prepares for the launch of 19 new properties in 2024, Singapore-headquartered Banyan Tree Group is embracing a sleeker image, rebranding itself as the Banyan Group.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is revamping its loyalty program in March, replacing its Grazie Rewards program.

Traveler sign-ups for hotel loyalty programs have soared in the past five years, and Hilton and Marriott have enjoyed some of the greatest gains.

The business of loyalty rests on making customers’ lives easier so that they come back for more. Partnerships help a lot and airlines and hospitals are a natural fit. 

IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf has been on the circuit talking up his hotel group’s strategy for growth. One of his notable talking points has been on the company’s co-branded credit cards with Chase.

When Alaska Airlines said Hawaiian Airlines would maintain its independent brand under a merged company, it was unclear how the two carriers would combine their loyalty programs. 

Hyatt said on Thursday it would improve its hotel loyalty program in January. Hyatt’s most notable change will be to expand the ability of program members to give some benefits to friends and family in one-off gifts.

American Airlines is adjusting its course during the pandemic recovery to boost its profitability, such as by focusing on under-served routes in the U.S. and by making its frequent flyer program an even bigger revenue generator. 

Delta has revised the changes to its Skymiles loyalty program that sparked a backlash when they were announced in September. Those changes shifted the key metric to build loyalty: The new emphasis would be on money spent.

American Airlines is making changes to its corporate travel loyalty program for small businesses – the airline said Monday the newly launched AAdvantage Business would replace Business Extra.

Hilton said Monday it’s taking steps to streamline how small- and medium-sized businesses book and manage billings for business travel and small-group meetings and events.

I typically refrain from commenting on ebbs and flows of loyalty and frequent flyer programs. Why? It’s somewhat uninteresting. My perspective is there will be a never-ending shift towards optimization, goosing revenue, and a focus on quarterly results by travel companies.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is the best of all the U.S. airline loyalty programs, says the U.S. News & World Report, and Marriott Rewards is the best of the large hotel-chain loyalty programs. The annual rankings emphasize benefits for basic members, and scores all loyalty programs on a scale of 1 to 5.