Members of travel loyalty programs are becoming increasingly disloyal. Since 2021, there has been a steep decline in the likelihood that a consumer would recommend airline, hotel, and cruise line loyalty programs to a friend or coworker, find partner Jillian Tellez Holub and colleagues. A major reason for the dissatisfaction is that travel companies have been rolling back some of the new rules put in place during the pandemic that made it easier for consumers to attain and keep a higher status level—and the benefits that come with it.
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Three slope charts show the net likelihood of recommending loyalty programs and brands, by percentage points, in 2021 and 2023. The 3 charts are for airline, cruise, and lodging. Within each chart is a line for loyalty program and a line for brand. The charts show the likelihood that customers would recommend travel loyalty programs has declined overall during a 2-year period, with loyalty programs for cruise and lodging showing the steepest declines. The likelihood of recommending brands has shown minor increases, however.
Source: McKinsey Loyalty Survey, Nov 22–Dec 2, 2021, n = 10,020, sampled and weighted to match the US general population 18+ years; McKinsey Travel Loyalty Survey, July 7–19, 2023, n = 3,200.
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To read the article, see “Travel invented loyalty as we know it. Now it’s time for reinvention,” November 15, 2023.