Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin
Email
Scrapbook
Russian Airline Incentivises Passengers to Stay at Home
As airlines work to retain customer loyalty by extending the validity of mileage, one Russian airline is avoiding mile discounting by letting passengers accrue points by engaging with the brand. During April, S7 Airlines is granting 100 reward miles to loyalty members for every day they log onto its website and confirm they’ve stayed home.
The process is simple. Frequent fliers enrolled in S7’s loyalty programme log onto their account each day and click a button indicating that they’re home. Geolocation data verifies this. Consumers are then prompted to share their statement on social media, a strategy intended to enable future discount travel for friend and family groups. All points earned are valid through to 2021.
While 100 miles per day won’t equal long-haul flights, it’s a clever move by the airline to remain in touch with passengers. Incentivising interaction also keeps trip-planning in participants’ minds. Given the uncertain recovery timeline, encouraging future trips might be the most productive short-term solution for airlines.
This miles scheme is also a smart safeguard for travel companies looking to build a pipeline of customers for post-pandemic journeys. Assuming they remain operational, these miles can act as a financial incentive for budget-strapped customers following months out of work but desiring a holiday regardless.
“People always want to go on holiday. We’ve seen that time and time again after recessions that people are unwilling to give up their holidays,” said Sophie Griffiths, editor of UK travel industry publication TTG.
For more on how the industry is encouraging consumers to act on future travel plans now, see The Virtual Travel Boom and How to Win Future Travellers.
