Loyalty360 Reads: January 7 | JetBlue Announces Plans to Become Carbon Neutral, Lamborghinis Heat Up Thanks to Alexa, and More

Corporate Social Responsibility
JetBlue Announces Plans to Become Carbon Neutral on Domestic Flights by July 2020
JetBlue is tackling the high environmental impact of flying by aiming to become carbon neutral on all domestic flights by July 2020, a first for the airline industry. The New York-based airline said this will entail offsetting between 15 billion and 17 billion additional pounds of emissions per year, which the company noted is “the annual equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles from the road.” The airline will offset the carbon impact of its jet fuel by investing in projects focused on forest conservation and landfill gas capture, as well as in solar and wind power generation initiatives. The company also said that it will begin using sustainable aviation fuel this year on flights from San Francisco International Airport.
 
Retail
Retail Store Checkout Will Soon Undergo Massive Changes
When considering a shopping trip, you usually do not think about the process of paying for what you’ll buy. Retail checkout can be quite a process. While the register may now be computerized, the checkout experience hasn’t changed much in years. Well, changes are coming to the lowly cash register, and the first signs of change can now be seen on your mobile device. What happens after that will be technological changes to the buildings where stores are located, which will facilitate seamless checkout. Eventually, technology embedded in products will manage retail checkout. When that happens, the things you take home will continue to communicate with the system they checked out on and provide continuous information that can be useful to you.
 
Innovation
Lamborghini Too Cold? Just Ask Alexa to Heat it Up
Does this sound familiar? You’re driving your Lamborghini and the seat is a little too cold. Pressing the seat heater button would require you to take your hands off the steering wheel. Well the good news is with a new generation of Amazon Alexa Auto, you will be able to say, "Alexa, turn on the seat heater" and you'll be all toasty without ever having to move a finger. The new Lamborghini Huracán Evo will be the first car with the latest Amazon Alexa Auto, Amazon's voice control system that's customized for use in automobiles. An older version of Alexa Auto is currently available in some vehicles, including Lamborghini's parent company Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group. That version allows drivers to do things like ask for the news and weather, play music and operate Alexa-controlled home devices, like a garage door opener or thermostat, so your house is warmed up when you get there.
 
 Restaurants
McDonald’s Looks to Revamp Company Culture
McDonald’s new CEO is determined to make changes at the top to move the company to redevelop company culture and improve overall restaurant performance. CEO Chris Kempczinski, has met with employees and franchisees in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Switzerland in his first two months on the job, in part to gather input on the company’s culture and values. He is expected to share some of what he has learned with the company this month.
 
Loyalty/Reward Programs
Brussels Airlines to Sunset Loop Loyalty Program
Originally launched in 2015, Brussels Airlines is shutting down Loop, its loyalty program designed for not-so-frequent flyers. Brussels introduced Loop as a simplified version of Lufthansa Group's Miles & More program, as Loop did not have status levels, but did allow up to five family members in the same household to pool their points. Brussels Airlines said that Miles & More "has extensively developed its offer in recent years and the possibilities to earn and spend miles, herewith coming very close to the customer advantages offered by Loop." As of Feb. 1, the program will be closed to new enrollees, and current members no longer will receive points in the program. However, members will be able to use their points to book Brussels Airlines flights through Jan. 31, 2021.
 

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