Latest news with #loyaltyprograms
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
These are the top airlines in the U.S., according to The Points Guy
Looking to travel this summer but not sure which airline to fly for the best experience? The Points Guy (TPG), an online site dedicated to improving consumers' travel experiences while helping them save money, has revealed its annual ranking of the best airlines in the U.S. Founder and CEO Brian Kelly said the site ranks airlines based on four criteria: a carrier's reliability and performance; passenger experience; its cost and reach; and the quality of its loyalty or rewards program. Recent carrier meltdowns have travelers thinking more carefully about which airline — and through which airports — they want to fly. "This is not just my personal decision," Kelly told CBS Mornings. He also explained how the company weighs each metric. "We have a formula. We use lots of data. This isn't us just sticking our finger up in the air and kind of playing favorites. We look at reliability, first and foremost." "When you buy airfare, you need to get to where you're going, so we give a huge amount — 30% — to reliability," Kelly explained. Some airlines are going the extra mile to make flying more enjoyable for customers, from the minute they step foot in an airport through touchdown. For that reason, TPG assigned a 25% weight to an airline passenger's experience score to determine its overall ranking. An airline's cost and reach — including how expansive its network of destinations is — was assigned a 20% weight. And one-quarter of an airline's score was determined by the quality of its loyalty of rewards program. How the airlines stack up Delta Air Lines topped the list for the seventh year in a row, with its relative strength across all categories earning it the highest ranking, according to TPG. It is the most reliable on-time airline in America. It also provides passengers with free wi-fi, a wide selection of inflight entertainment options and meals from Shake Shack. United came in second place, rising from third place last year, aided by an improved onboard experience. It could continue to climb the rankings next year after announcing a partnership with JetBlue that will expand the airline's reach and improve perks for its loyalty members, TPG said. Weighing on the airline, though, is United's outsized presence at Newark Airport, which is suffering from persistent equipment and staffing issues. Southwest Airlines moved up two spots to earn the No. 3 position. Working in the airline's favor is its low flight cancellation rate, which is the best of any of its competitors. While it scored points in the cost and reach category, recent changes in fee structures could end its reign. It recently ended its popular "bags fly free" policy and offers a new, basic economy fare. Here are the full rankings, according to TPG: Delta Air Lines United Airlines Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue American Airlines Allegiant Air Spirit Airlines Frontier Airlines
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
CleverTap Launches "Promos' - The Industry-First All-In-One Rewards Management Platform
With Promos, CleverTap redefines How Brands Engage and Retain Customers by Making Rewards, Promotions, and Loyalty an Integral Part of Its All-In-One Engagement Platform SAN FRANCISCO, CA and MUMBAI - June 18, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - CleverTap, the all-in-one customer engagement platform, today announced the launch of Promos - an industry-first, customer rewards management platform built to redefine how brands create, manage, distribute, and optimize rewards, promotions and loyalty programs. Powered by technology from (now part of CleverTap), Promos offers a comprehensive, API-first solution for managing every facet of customer incentives - from coupons and loyalty points to cashback, vouchers, and gamified rewards. By replacing a system of fragmented tools, Promos empowers marketers with a seamless, scalable, and deeply integrated alternative for driving retention, repeat purchases, and maximizing customer lifetime value. Marketers today are often forced to rely on fragmented systems - piecing together rewards and loyalty programs, CDPs, messaging platforms, and analytics - just to deliver a single, end-to-end campaign. These disconnected workflows slow teams down, lead to inconsistent data, and cause marketers to miss critical moments for engagement, resulting in delayed rewards, irrelevant offers, and loyalty programs that fail to deliver. Promos changes that. It embeds rewards management directly into CleverTap's engagement engine, giving brands a single platform to segment users, automate campaigns, personalize, deliver real-time incentives, and measure effectiveness effortlessly. With Promos, marketers can now launch behavior-triggered rewards in minutes, optimize campaigns on the fly, and deliver offers that feel timely, relevant, and personalized - ultimately improving ROI and deepening brand-consumer relationships. Anand Jain, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, CleverTap, said, 'CleverTap Promos rewrites the rewards management playbook. Rather than tallying one-off redemptions, we're forging lasting customer relationships, making every point, perk, and offer a personalized, memorable moment rooted in trust and authenticity. By uniting reward programs, engagement, and intelligence on a single platform, Promos truly propels our mission to becoming industry's first end-to-end retention platform for modern marketers.' Akhil Suhag, Co-founder and CEO, added, 'Rewards and loyalty management shouldn't force marketers to navigate a maze of siloed systems. Promos lets brands oversee loyalty, incentives, and engagement from one unified hub. This speeds up execution, clearing operational clutter and turning customer retention into a compounding engine for sustainable growth. I'm excited for marketers to experience its power and convenience firsthand.' Learn more or request a live demo here. About CleverTap CleverTap is the leading all-in-one customer engagement platform that helps brands unlock limitless customer lifetime value. CleverTap is trusted by over 2000 brands like Decathlon, Domino's, Levis, Jio, Emirates NBD, Puma, Croma (A Tata Enterprise), Swiggy, SonyLIV, Axis Bank, AirAsia, TD Bank, Ooredoo, and Tesco to help build personalized experiences for all their customers. The platform is powered by TesseractDB(TM) – the world's first purpose-built database for customer engagement, offering speed and cost efficiency at scale. Backed by top-tier investors such as Accel, Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global, CDPQ and 360 One, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, with presence across Seattle, London, São Paulo, Bogota, Mexico, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Singapore, Vietnam, and Jakarta. For more information, visit or follow us on: LinkedIn: X: Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap's belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could result in the actual outcome being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction. For more information: ADITYA SANYAL Director, Digital Marketing, CleverTap +91 9177110080 [email protected] ASHMIT CHAUDHARY Associate Consultant, Archetype +91 8850752121 [email protected]
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SpotOn introduces mobile-first ordering channel GoTo
SpotOn has unveiled GoTo Place, a mobile-first ordering channel designed to empower restaurants with integrated online ordering, loyalty programmes and direct customer engagement. The app is a response to the growing trend of "super apps" in the foodservice industry, offering restaurants a way to retain data, revenue and control without relying on third-party platforms. GoTo is set to revolutionise the digital presence of restaurants by providing them with a custom-branded app, states the company. This move challenges the current market, dominated by technology giants with generic apps that lump multiple restaurants together, often at the cost of high commissions and reduced brand visibility. SpotOn chief product officer Bryan Solar stated: "At a time when restaurants are under pressure from rising costs and shifting consumer habits, GoTo puts the power back in the restaurant's hands." "GoTo is the kind of branded experience usually reserved for national chains. We're democratising that tech for independents with the tools to drive repeat visits, own their customer relationships and build long-term loyalty." GoTo differentiates itself by offering a dedicated platform for restaurants to connect directly with their customers under their own brand. Bryan Solar added: "Unlike third-party 'super apps' that promote multiple restaurants while charging high fees, GoTo is restaurant-first by design." "The app doesn't promote competitors or dilute a restaurant's brand identity. Instead, it acts as a digital extension of the restaurant." Data from SpotOn Order indicates that more than 80% of consumers use their phones to place orders, and 40% revisit the same restaurant within a week. GoTo leverages these consumer habits by promoting repeat orders and loyalty reward redemptions, easing the operational burden on restaurant staff. Restaurants using GoTo can offer a commission-free, branded mobile ordering experience, engage customers with tailored loyalty rewards and marketing offers, and manage reservations and waitlists on their terms. The app, now available on the App Store and Google Play, is an inclusive solution for restaurants already using SpotOn Order. It features ordering, loyalty and waitlist capabilities, with plans to introduce additional functionalities in the future. In early June 2025, SpotOn also launched an AI-powered tool for restaurant operators to automate their profit and loss analysis. "SpotOn introduces mobile-first ordering channel GoTo" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Travelers Want More Than Loyalty Points
Traditional travel loyalty program perks, such as points and elite status, are becoming less influential in maximizing a guest's experience. Travelers increasingly prefer personalized experiences and real-time recognition when booking travel versus traditional travel rewards for loyalty, such as points and elite status, which are becoming more challenging to redeem and enhance the trip quality. A tourist watches waves crash onto a reef protecting the lagoon and a resort on Rarotonga, the largest island of the Cook Islands on June 12, 2025. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Hotel stays are a competitive business as travelers have numerous options. Instead of narrowing down where to stay by traditional metrics like cost or loyalty program membership, many guests also factor in personalization. Hospitality management provider Mews recently polled 2,000 travelers about their preferences and how hoteliers can win their loyalty. Overall, the survey reveals that 68% of respondents favor personalized experiences. The percentages are higher among two particular traveler backgrounds: 'The era of transactional loyalty is over,' says Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews. 'Today's travelers want genuine recognition - the kind that comes from truly understanding who your customer is, why they have come and what they aim to achieve during their trips. More personalized experiences, less loyalty tiers.' This study also finds that 82% of responding travelers are frustrated with traditional point programs. Moreover, only 24% view hotel rewards as the most valuable based on their lifestyle, with grocery store rewards (55%), credit card points (50%), gas rewards (39%), and airline miles (25%) placing higher. The most prominent hotel rewards barriers include: Integrating AI technology enables hospitality providers to efficiently personalize experiences, making each guest feel like a VIP with every stay. Excellent customer service is also crucial, with 62% of travelers citing poor service quality and communication as the top reason for abandoning a brand. This hindrance surpasses issues with broken or faulty facilities, room problems, and a sudden halt in amenities. Jetsetters are increasingly opting for airlines based on convenience or additional perks, rather than concentrating solely on accumulating frequent flyer miles with a specific alliance. For instance, many budget-conscious travelers prefer to fly Southwest Airlines due to its competitive fare pricing and its (recently discontinued) 'two bags fly for free.' Delta Air Lines provides complimentary onboard Wi-Fi to all SkyMiles members on equipped aircraft. The airline also offers in-flight experiences, such as its free Sky Hopper game, to earn entries for monthly prizes. Popular airline loyalty initiatives also include personalizing customer service interactions through AI chatbots, tailored promotions and challenges, and subscription memberships. Nevertheless, alliance loyalty remains significant for frequent flyers, as they can earn elite airline status or redeem multiple award flights each year. Programs are personalizing milestone award choices. Preferences for travel rewards are shifting as guests increasingly prefer personalized perks over the uniform approach that older generations typically favor. Hotels and airlines that challenge the status quo by treating each customer as unique and highly valued stand to benefit the most from this changing trend. Related Articles:
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Legislation That Cuts Your Credit Card Miles And Points Inches Closer
Your airline miles and points earning could be at risk. getty Are your credit card miles and points at risk? They could be if the ongoing battle for credit card legislation, initiated by the Durbin-Marshall amendment (Senators Roger Marshall and Dick Durbin), passes in Congress. Bipartisan negotiations continue, but a final vote is inching closer. The amendment, part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, would reduce the cost charged to merchants that accept credit cards. It says that businesses pay more than $100 million in swipe fees annually. But, opponents to the change say it would wipe out the miles, points and perks that consumers enjoy from their credit cards. Credit card payment is now the preferred method of payment by many consumers. getty This week, airlines, travel unions and aircraft manufacturers have stepped up their campaigning against these proposed changes, according to a Business Insider article. They say that weakening loyalty programs (and their associated perks) could have a detrimental effect to the aviation and travel industry as a whole. It could affect travel demand, which would hurt employment in the industry and eventually aircraft orders. The trade group Airlines for America is spearheading the efforts and has partnered with various travel companies and unions in a recent letter to senators, which includes support from the Allied Pilots Association, Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines among others. America Airlines planes waiting for passengers at Miami International Airport. getty According to the group, credit cards had a nearly $25 billion effect on the economy in 2023, representing over 31 million American consumers. Limiting credit card benefits could put a dent in the loyalty miles and points game for consumers and a proverbial crater in the bottom line for airlines and hotels that rely on credit card revenue to offset slim margins elsewhere. In the December quarter alone, Delta brought in nearly $2 billion in credit card remuneration, which represented a 14% year-over-year increase from the same period last year. Airlines for America points to research that says that more than half of the loyalty miles and points redeemed in 2023 came from credit cards rather than via flights or hotel stays. A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300 getty The Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC), which represents credit card companies adds that this legislation would only benefit mega-stores and does not have the same effect for consumers. The group says that interchange fees have not increased in recent years and that credit card fees are hardly the highest expense that most businesses have to pay. In fact, it believes that small businesses stand to suffer the most if this legislation were to pass. According to a public document from EPC: 'credit card routing mandates would not lower the cost of goods for consumers, and in some cases, may raise costs for consumers.' United Airlines Boeing 777 Aircraft (777-200), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). getty It counters that the argument that low-income individuals are footing the bill for these rewards programs is not accurate. Studies show that 'low-income individuals use rewards credit cards at a rate similar to high-income individuals' and 'there is substantial evidence that caps placed on credit cards transactions reduces rewards offered to consumers while increasing the cost of holding a card, ensuring consumers across income levels are left worse off.' Current, bipartisan negotiations are taking place on the Senate floor with a vote potentially taking place next week.
