Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices. Topic S01-27. US Airport Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs, originally introduced to the airline industry in the early 1980s, have become an essential component of the business ecosystem for airlines. Airline loyalty programs enhance passenger loyalty toward the airline brand and produce profit margin and positive working capital. In comparison to the airline industry, airports are late adopters of loyalty programs. It is only within the last decade that some airports have started to realize the value and decided to create the airport version of loyalty programs. This trend mostly originated in Europe, where airports such as London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol, or Milan Malpensa have built their own loyalty ecosystem and/or collaborate with airport vendors, such as restaurants, duty-free shops, and parking facilities to provide this value-add service to passengers. In the U.S, some airports have embraced this trend with some choosing to collaborate with third-party loyalty programs. The objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of airport loyalty programs, including development, monetization, and the value of program adoption to the airports. The audience for this research are airport managers and stakeholders with responsibilities to strengthen customer loyalty and engagement as well as increase revenue.

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Active
  • Funding: $45000
  • Contract Numbers:

    Project 11-03, Topic S01-27

  • Sponsor Organizations:

    Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis

    Transportation Research Board
    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC    20001

    Federal Aviation Administration

    800 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20591
  • Project Managers:

    Christensen, Jordan

  • Performing Organizations:

    Purdue University

    1040 South River Road
    West Lafayette, IN  United States  47907
  • Principal Investigators:

    Gao, Yi

  • Start Date: 20220412
  • Expected Completion Date: 0
  • Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01830017
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
  • Contract Numbers: Project 11-03, Topic S01-27
  • Files: TRB, RIP
  • Created Date: Dec 14 2021 1:18PM