{"id":92105,"date":"2020-01-29T00:01:06","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T23:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=92105"},"modified":"2020-01-29T13:55:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T12:55:29","slug":"travel-loyalty-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/travel-loyalty-programme","title":{"rendered":"Building loyalty among business travellers - what a programme!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By dint of posing as travel revolutionaries, the new entrants<\/a>likeAirbnb<\/a> or Uber, have raised expectations that are sometimes difficult to meet. Visit \"disruptive<\/strong> is it a concept that can be adapted ad infinitum? Not for sure... As proof, these inventive players are still groping their way in the field of customer loyalty. Uber, for example, waited ten years before launching Uber Rewards, which is very similar to the good old-fashioned loyalty programmes<\/strong> put in place by the traditional players a long time ago.<\/p>\n

Even today, the cautious extension of this programme is still well below the cruising speed at which the giant of the VTC<\/a> <\/strong>was initially scheduled for 2019, the French version has been a long time coming. Interviewed at the end of 2018, Franck Monsauret<\/a>head of Uber for Business in France, urged patience. \"Subjects relating to subscriptions and loyalty programmes<\/strong> are not new. Other sectors have introduced them, other mobility players have integrated them. But we need to put things into perspective in relation to the youth<\/strong> of our company, which is not even ten years old<\/em>\"he explained. We will have to wait until 2020 to see Uber Rewards arrives on the French market<\/a><\/strong>. The official announcement, published on 29 January<\/strong>is counting on the roll-out of the \"\u00a0over the coming weeks<\/em>\" .<\/p>\n

As for Airbnb, the programme does have a name, \"Superguest\", but as yet has no concrete reality for its users. In short, it's an empty shell that the leader in the collaborative economy hopes to fill by asking travellers themselves to submit their suggestions in a sort of online suggestion box. What's in it? It's a mystery... But for the time being, none of the contributions seems to be 'disruptive' enough for the collaborative giant to embark on the adventure of building customer loyalty.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, the two giants have long enjoyed an ultra-dominant position, and have not had to play hardball to retain a 'captive' customer base. But the competition<\/strong> has finally emerged, particularly in the chauffeur-driven car sector, and French challengers have been less reluctant to play the loyalty card. Kapten<\/strong> <\/a>for VTCs or MagicStay<\/strong> <\/a>for collaborative hosting have already delivered their copy. For example, when it launched its programme in spring 2018, Kapten didn't fail to tease its American alter ego. A message published on the French VTC platform's blog made a barely concealed appeal to Uber customers who would be eager to see their loyalty rewarded: \"You may be in a long-term relationship with your partner Hubert, but you feel that something is missing, as if you're giving more than you're getting<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

\"Silver<\/a>
Silver or Gold status, points to be exchanged for free rides: Kapten is one of the first VTC platforms to launch a loyalty scheme \u00a9 Kapten<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clearly, there is nothing obvious about the concept of loyalty applied to travel. Traditional players regularly revise their programmes, slightly redesigning the contours or completely rethinking the philosophy. The aim is to keep travellers within the fold of a supplier, or even a group of partners who play the reciprocity card. Air France-KLM<\/strong> and Accor<\/strong> have, for example strengthened their partnership this summer through the Miles + Points<\/strong><\/a>which allows travellers to simultaneously earn Flying Blue miles and Le Club Accor-Hotels points for their flights and overnight stays.<\/p>\n

Among the various players in the business travel industry, the hotel sector is probably the most active when it comes to building customer loyalty, or at least the one that has begun to think deeply about the subject. The latest player to do so is none other thanAccor<\/strong>. In mid-December, the French group unveiled the broad outlines of its ALL<\/strong>for \"Accor Live Limitless<\/a>. \"We felt that the time had come to evolve our programme, to give it a new dimension with the aim of offering our customers a personalised experience with no limits.<\/em>\"says Ian di Tullio<\/strong>SVP Guest Services<\/a> within the Accor group.<\/p>\n

Traditional players regularly review their loyalty programmes, either redesigning them slightly or completely rethinking their philosophy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Among the various developments, two major trends<\/strong> are emerging: the adoption of a experiential\" approach<\/strong> (see box) and a business diversification<\/strong> through which travellers can collect and spend points. Ian di Tullio talks about \"the integration of new brands and new opportunities to earn and spend points in the restoration<\/strong>the meeting<\/strong>the coworking<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\"and looks to the future: \"Eventually, all interactions with Accor, whether with our hotel brands or our service offerings such as workspaces, bars, nightclubs or restaurants, will earn points. These integrations will take place progressively<\/em>\".<\/p>\n

Anglo-Saxon hoteliers have also embarked on this path, following the example of the Marriott Bonvoy<\/strong>launched in February 2019<\/strong><\/a>or the \"Pay with Points<\/strong> tested over the past few weeks by IHG<\/strong>. The aim is to make it as easy as possible to use points via the mobile app or hotel room TV, whether for meals, drinks, a spa treatment or an upgrade.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Marriott Bonvoy programme offers its members unique moments, such as attending a Manchester United match under VIP conditions \u00a9 Marriott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n