Concerns grow that loyalty programs may have fallen miles behind customer needs
MONTREAL — The value of customer loyalty programs is under increased scrutiny by companies and users in the wake of Air Miles’ recent reversal of an unpopular expiration policy.
The operator of the shopper reward program, LoyaltyOne, angered many members last year with its proposal to void unused Air Miles after five years, only to abandon that plan weeks before it was to take effect.
“It put a little bit of a black eye on the industry as a whole,” said Patrick Sojka, founder of RewardsCanada.ca, which tracks travel reward programs.
Air Miles acknowledged the public frustration, saying card use dropped at the end of last year.