AirAsia, Malaysia’s low-cost airlines, renovated and launched a loyalty program that prioritizes loyalty over profits. AirAsia BIG Loyalty program awards loyalty status based on the number of flights that passengers take instead of how much money they spend.
The program has four status tiers: Red, Gold, Platinum and Black.
RED
Qualifying Flown Sectors: 0-13 flights
Earning Rate: up to 2 BIG points per 1 Malaysian Ringgit spent
GOLD
Qualifying Flown Sectors: 14-23 flights
Earning Rate: up to 4 BIG points per 1 Malaysian Ringgit spent
PLATINUM
Qualifying Flown Sectors: 24-49 flights
Earning Rate: up to 7 BIG points per 1 Malaysian Ringgit spent
BLACK
Qualifying Flown Sectors: 50 or more flights
Earning Rate: up to 12 BIG points per 1 Malaysian Ringgit spent
Short-haul flights count as one qualifying sector, and long-haul flights count as two qualifying sectors. The points are awarded based on the fare classification, low or premium, and do not expire for 36 months from the last activity date.
The carrier serves Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, among other destinations, and BIG Loyalty members will qualify for flight discounts as well.
Earning air lines status based on how often passengers fly is an unusual approach in this day and age of air travel. Airline loyalty programs are stingier than Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to rewarding customers, but AirAsia is taking a different path to gaining members. This system allows travelers reach status levels much quicker, even if they book cheap flights.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our loyal guests for flying with us,” AirAsia Co-Founder and AirAsia X Group CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun said. “By making AirAsia X the air lines of choice for longhaul travel, our guests can achieve top status in the Freedom Flyer Programme twice as fast and enjoy abundant rewards and privileges while exploring our network, which stretches from Japan to Australia and the Middle East, all the way to Hawaii.”