Many fliers have expressed displeasure over the sweeping changes that will soon be made to Avios, the loyalty program operated by British Airways (BA). This may mark a shift in brand loyalty, as the recently announced adjustments will dramatically alter the customer experiences that many have come to enjoy.
According to the report on travelmole.com, passengers have already voiced their unhappiness through various social media channels, and many have stated plans to take their business elsewhere.
The changes to the Avios loyalty program, which allows members to earn flight upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, and more, will be effective on April 28, 2015. And the majority of these changes will come at the detriment of many economy-class travelers.
Economy fliers now stand to earn substantially fewer points for purchasing cheaper tickets. Under the new structure, the number of awarded Avios points will now not only be based on the ticket price, but on the type of cabin fliers occupy as well.
Ultimately, this now means that some economy class passengers will collect 75% fewer points, while passengers flying in first class or business class will earn even more.
Other changes will discontinue the free domestic connecting flight for “reward flight” passengers flying from Scotland and Northern England to continental Europe. What’s more, the overhaul will also introduce seasonal pricing, which means that the time of year will determine the fluctuating number of points needed to claim a particular reward.
According to the airline, these new changes are an attempt to introduce a more competitive and rewarding loyalty program. BA has also stated that the changes
are based on customer feedback from those expressing a desire to earn more points by purchasing more expensive tickets.
Officials for British Airways offered this statement: “We believe those that spend the most on flexible tickets should see the greatest rewards.”
Though it is clear, however, that many fliers view this customer engagement strategy as unfair.