Moving Traveler Loyalty From "Utility" To "Good"

The Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that there were three levels of friendships: utility, pleasure, and good. The lowest, utility, describes the current state of travel loyalty programs — involvement without engagement. But travelers build loyalty on more than just points and perks. Staff courtesy, information clarity, and operational reliability are part of the mix — areas out of the control of marketing. Lack of insights into members keeps travel loyalty leaders from forging the emotional bond needed to create a "good" member relationship — and it doesn't help that loyalty leaders are increasingly focused on financial topics rather than marketing. To propel travel loyalty programs toward "good" will require audacious action. Among the steps that loyalty leaders will need to take: creating a more comprehensive view of members' profitability and linking spending along with frequency to "elite" status benefits.