Loyalty goes amiss in domestic airlines’ loyalty programmes

New Delhi: As if domestic carriers in India did not have enough on their plates already, there's another morale crusher taking shape —missing customer loyalty in loyalty programmes.
As Bangalore-based entrepreneur Devashree B, a member of the once celebrated King Club of Kingfisher Airlines, says, “I had the King card and often used the upgrades and lounge facility. But recently after the airline started cancelling flights and the schedules went haywire, I stopped flying Kingfisher Airline altogether. I have now switched to another airline, the frequent flier points notwithstanding.”
But it's not only Kingfisher airlines, reeling under debt and losses, that has not been able to use its frequent flier programme (FFP) effectively. Another frequent flier, a Delhi-based consultant, who has earned thousands of miles on a rival full service carrier, also complains. “One is unable to redeem miles on most occasions as those are the black-out dates. On other occasions you have to give notice of at least 10 days to the airline to redeem them, which in my profession is not possible.”
Clearly, in these troubled times, customers would rather opt for on-time, efficient service and up front discounts than loyalty programmes.
04/03/12 Vishakha Talreja Guha/Financial Express

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2012