The airBaltic club loyalty program now reaches almost everywhere in the world. Thanks to a new partnership with Air France and KLM, members can both earn and redeem points for travels with the two larger airlines. Though, like with most such deals, there are some notable limitations.
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Aeroplan, Avis partner for status match, with a co-brand twist
Air Canada’s Aeroplan elite status holders can now request a complimentary status upgrade in the Avis Preferred® program, extending the value of the status earned to rental cars as well. The status match program is effective immediately and members can register here.
Virgin Atlantic to join SkyTeam
Virgin Atlantic will join the SKyTeam alliance in early 2023, boosting the group’s presence in the UK. Virgin Atlantic will become SkyTeam’s first and only UK member airline, offering long-haul flights from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Air Canada, Emirates link up with codeshare, loyalty reciprocity
It is not, perhaps, quite the level of strange bedfellows pondered by Shakespeare in The Tempest, but a new strategic partnership agreement between Air Canada and Emirates is certainly an interesting development.
A blockchain loyalty revolution, spearheaded by airBaltic
A new generation of airline loyalty programs is coming, developed, tracked, and sold on the blockchain. And airBaltic is leading the charge. CEO Martin Gauss explains how the company sees its Planies NFT program as a launch pad to a fully tokenized loyalty scheme.
Deutsche Bahn confirms Star Alliance intermodal partner membership
Deutsche Bahn will make its intercity train network available to airlines in the Star Alliance network from 1 August 2022.
Oman Air to join oneworld alliance
Oneworld will grow once again, with Oman Air now slated to join the alliance from 2024. The carrier’s ascension into the group was formally approved and announced at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Doha this week.
JSX adds MileagePlus for points earning
Passengers on JSX can now earn points in the United Airlines MileagePlus program. The partnership is “a critical advancement of the continued relationship between JSX and United Airlines, with more cooperation to be announced later this year.”
Star Alliance credit card coming this fall
Why would an airline alliance launch a loyalty credit card? The obvious answer is money. Co-brand credit cards are massive drivers of revenue for airlines. But historically that has applied at the airline level, not at the alliance level. Star Alliance will change that later this year when the group launches its own card.
airBaltic boosts NFT loyalty play
Perhaps no airline sees itself as an innovator more than airBaltic.
The company’s latest move – to issue 10,000 more NFTs tied to its loyalty program – raises questions about whether the airline is innovative or simply chasing a shiny buzzword.