Loyalty programs during COVID-19 – a silver lining in times of crisis

After weeks of abandoned airports and grounded aircraft, borders are slowly reopening, making air travel possible again – theoretically. But who is willing to travel and which airline will succeed in filling up the empty seats? While it is too early to nominate a winner from the crisis yet, it seems obvious that every airline needs to evaluate their individual assets and apply them to their best advantage. One of these assets is certainly the loyalty of an airline’s customers.

Customer loyalty – a helping hand out of the crisis

Which aviation businesses will, in the end, succeed in recovering from the crisis will largely depend on which airline’s customers will fly again soon. Certainly, airlines that have already invested time and resources into building up a base of delighted and loyal customers through a customer centric approach supported by attractive frequent flyer programs are better positioned to make it out of the crisis. 

However, anxiety and confusion about what’s coming next reflect to a certain degree the change in customer habits, requirements and expectations. Proactively listening and addressing the members needs enables airlines to position themselves in a way that allows fast adaption to the new situation. 

This is the opportunity to launch improved and innovative offerings in the market, to serve customer needs as of today, as well as creating synergies for the future.

This article focuses on the competitive advantage of airline loyalty programs in times of crisis illustrating how loyalty programs can support the airline in its decision-making for the upcoming operational re-start. Furthermore, the article highlights what airlines must in turn do for their members in these uncertain times to reinstate passenger confidence and begin to drive the much-needed revenue recovery.

Read the full article here 

To learn more and discuss how your organization could benefit from Lufthansa Consulting’s expertise on Crisis Recovery, please get in touch.

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