The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among airline loyalty/rewards programs, according to the inaugural J.D. Power 2014 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report.
The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan recorded a score of 757 on a 1,000-point scale.
According to a release, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan performed admirably across all categories, specifically in the area of ease of redeeming points/miles and reward program terms.
“A key strength for Alaska Airlines is its partners program, which allows its members to earn points when flying one of its partner airlines or staying at one of its partner hotels,” Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power, said. “While partner programs are not unique to Alaska Airlines, the carrier’s vast partner networks allow its members to earn points through a number of airlines and hotels.”
The report measures customer satisfaction with airline loyalty and reward programs based on six factors (in order of importance):
- Ease of redeeming points/miles
- Reward program terms
- Account maintenance/management
- Ease of earning points/miles
- Variety of benefits available
- Customer service
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards came in second (731) and JetBlue Airlines TrueBlue ranked third (707).
Here are some key takeaways from the report:
Several factors impact airline loyalty rewards program participation. Customers are most frequently influenced by the airline website (36%), followed by promotional material received directly from the airline (22%), and airline employees during check-in/post flight (17%).
When choosing among programs, the most common reason customers select their airline reward program over others is the frequent flyer program’s options available (34%). Recommendation by a friend or relative, and the frequent flyer program’s reputation are the second most frequently cited reasons for selecting an airline reward program (21% each).
The primary ways customers earn points with their program are airline flights (85%); travel through program partners (55%); credit cards (46%); car rental (34%); and hotel stays (32%).
Only 13% of customers indicated they experienced problems with their airline loyalty rewards program during the past 12 months.
High satisfaction equates to positive recommendations for airline rewards programs. Customers who indicate their rewards program is outstanding (overall satisfaction rating of 10 on a 10-point scale) recommend their rewards program to family and friends an average of 5.1 times per year, compared with 3.4 times among those who rate their program lower than 10. As satisfaction decreases, the number of positive recommendations also decreases.
The 2014 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report measures customer satisfaction with airline reward and loyalty programs. The report is based on responses from more than 3,800 airline loyalty and reward program members and was fielded in March 2014.