Tag Archives for starbucks.
American Airlines delayed a flight because its pilot was stuck in line at Starbucks, which says less about the pilot than it does about the airline’s coffee. For years, cheap onboard coffee has had a hidden operational cost: when crews go hunting for something better in the terminal, passengers wait.
Ordering the same Starbucks drink at different airports can cost you dramatically different amounts—up to 50% more depending on your departure city. Here’s exactly where you’ll pay the highest prices, where you’ll save the most, and why airport Starbucks pricing varies so widely.
Are they figuring that very few will keep track of whether it’s a designated week to earn points? That’s certainly an interesting experiment in marketing – to see whether the announced partnership and linking gets most of the juice, or whether there’s significant uplift in spend during weeks members can earn 100 points.
Delta and Starbucks launched a mileage partnership in fall 2022 where you would link your accounts and then earn 1 SkyMile per dollar spent at Starbucks (2 miles on days you flew Delta). This largely copied an Air Canada – Starbucks program in Canada.
They’ve now ‘optimized’ the program.
When airlines partner with third parties so that customers earn miles for transactions outside of travel, we normally think of the non-travel partner renting the frequent flyer program to help sell their product. The partner buys miles and is paying for the reward they give to customers, for access to the airline’s customers, and for use of the frequent flyer program’s intellectual property.
But there’s a benefit to the loyalty program beyond the direct revenue for the miles sold.
Delta and Starbucks have a new reciprocal earning partnership, which is only upside. There’s even a bonus for linking your accounts, which you should do in order not to leave miles on the table.
Airport food locations aren’t actually run by the restaurant names you know. Restaurants will license the concept, and collaborate on menus, with concessions companies like HMS Host, Delaware North, and OTG.
HMS Host had an exclusive deal to offer Starbucks in U.S. airports since 1991. We learned last week that this exclusive deal is over, though existing Starbucks locations should remain in airports through the duration of the HMS Host-airport contract at least.
Here’s what’s next for Starbucks in airports. Hint: it may involve iPads.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
It’s only been three years since Starbucks devalued their rewards program by moving towards revenue-based points earning. Gone was the ability to get outsized value from the program, for instance, by ringing up each item you’re purchasing separately.
Now we know that Starbucks is going to devalue the program again by moving closer to revenue-based redemption. Word is that redemptions will work as follows:
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
