How to Fix American Airlines and the AAdvantage Program

by Gary Leff

Sep 06 2016

For several years American Airlines offered a clear value proposition. It made sense to fly American and earn status in the AAdvantage program because they were more rewarding than Delta or United. I’ve written for many years that benefits which are significantly more rewarding than average won’t lost, and it’s no surprise that American has cut back on its generosity.

However with the airline operation lagging, cuts to the AAdvantage program, and strong indications of more cuts to come, I’ve been flying American less.

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Whether Hilton’s New App Feature is Creepy or Awesome Depends on How Big a Reward You Get

by Gary Leff

Sep 06 2016

Hilton is doing some really cool things with their mobile app. Now they’re rolling out real-time recommendations for activities and offering discounts based on your geolocation on property.

Personalized offers based on past behavior, combined with last minute excess inventory, is certainly seen as a real frontier of marketing. Now you’ll get happy hour specials or spa discounts based on time, your preferences, and geolocation.

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The Simple Reason Changes Without Notice Destroy Frequent Flyer Programs

by Gary Leff

Sep 05 2016

Making changes without notice to a loyalty program is the worst thing any program can do.

It’s unethical, because it breaks a promise made to members. It’s bad business, because it undermines confidence in the program (and that confidence is necessary for the program to successfully drive consumer behavior). And in some cases it’s even illegal.

A loyalty program is a promise of future value for purchasing behavior today. Changes without notice renege on that deal.

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3 Free Nights at Loama Resort, Maldives

by Gary Leff

Sep 04 2016

Regular readers know that I love the Maldives. I’ve been 5 years in a row. It’s the only place I’ve found where I can really unplug. The distance is a feature not a bug, by the time I get there I’m really ready to relax and the time difference helps me to do it — I can answer work emails in the morning, and everyone is gone from the office the rest of the day so I can just enjoy myself.

I’ve gone to the same place each time, because I could use points, but there are some fantastic properties that I’d love to try some day. One that’s really worth checking out is Loama Resort.

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