Loyalty Programs Revisited: Key Metrics and the Impact of COVID-19

Summary

Loyalty programs have been a part of travel since the early 1980s, offering travelers mileage-based points. The original idea was to use loyalty as a mechanism to entice and reward frequent travelers to come back to brands. Eighty-nine percent of travelers now belong to at least one travel loyalty program (airline, hotel, OTA, cruise or car rental).

This report examines how U.S. travelers currently view and use their programs when making travel decisions. It further explores the developing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traveler loyalty.

Also in this series (available now or publishing soon):

• Loyalty Programs Revisited: Tapping Into Travel Credit Cards
• Loyalty Programs Revisited: Hotels, Airlines and OTAs
• Loyalty Programs Revisited: Business Travelers