Can Loyalty be extended to Airlines? An Inquisition from Air Passengers

Abstract

Airlines have always sought to engage with passengers by resorting to customer loyalty programmes. The exigency for this is that customers drive businesses and loyalty constitutes a means to sustainable business. The loyalty programmes by airlines has been a driving force behind customer loyalty since the early 1980s. The study uses a narrative inquiry to explore the extent to which passengers have become acquainted with it. It also examines whether passengers can be loyal to airlines and under what conditions this can prevail. Its findings suggest that although air passengers are prepared to forge closer ties with the airlines, they often see the airlines as reneging on their pledge to offer reciprocal terms of this loyal arrangement. Keywords: customer loyalty, airlines, frequent flyer, passengers, reward systems