Airlines love to survey their frequent flier program members. Have you ever had the urge to turn the tables and survey them?
Now is your chance. My consulting firm in Milwaukee, Wis., will survey nearly 100 senior executives at an annual meeting of managers of frequent-flier programs. The gathering, called FFP 2007, will be held in Vancouver in February. Your feedback at facilitated by The Denver Post will help my company design the survey. And you ll be the first to read about the results in February.
Please tell us what you like most and least about the frequent-flier program or programs to which you belong. What frustrates you? What makes you feel rewarded? What makes you a happy and loyal customer? Have you had an experience with a frequent-flier program that prompted you never to do business again with a particular airline?
Bearing all of that in mind, you’d like for an airline executive to answer. Here are two examples to get you started:
“Hey Jay, ask them this question: During 2006, how did your overall reward availability change? a) We increased it, b) It stayed the same, c) We decreased it.
“Hi, why don’t you ask why I can never get the seat I want.”
Here is some other information to consider as you think about frequent-flier programs:
By one estimate, membership in frequent-flier programs in the United States exceeds 120 million. Because you are reading this, you likely belong to one, two or more frequent flier programs. And you may even have received one or more of the 15 million reward tickets given by US-based airlines last year.
While 15 million tickets is certainly a huge number, it s a number that is not keeping pace with overall airline growth. Unfortunately, it s dwarfed by the nearly $4 billion in unused tickets that have been earned by travelers – – but remain unused. No doubt you ve read complaints about reward availability in the media, or maybe you ve shared your own tale of woe with a seatmate on a recent flight. Millions of members have changed their travel habits, mobile phone companies and even their banking relationships in a quest to earn more miles. But has all this activity made you happy or angry at the airlines and their programs?
I look forward to hearing from Denver Post readers by Jan. 10, when we’ll close and get to work on crafting that survey you help devise.
Jay Sorensen is a management professional with 20 years experience in product, partnership and marketing development. Of this experience, 13 years were at Midwest Airlines where he had responsibilities for marketing and product development. Jay has started frequent traveler programs and co-branded credit cards, developed products in the service sector and has started companies in the travel and tourism industry. He is president of the IdeaWorks Co. and founder of the Kids First Fund children s charity. Learn more at and .
