A frequent-flyer programme (FFP) is a loyalty program offered by an airline.
AAdvantage is the frequent-flyer program of American Airlines. Launched May 1, 1981, it was the second such loyalty program in the world and remains the largest, with more than 115 million members as of April, 2021.
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names that vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now offer business class as the highest level of service, having eliminated first class seating. Business class is distinguished from other travel classes by the quality of seating, food, drinks, ground service and other amenities. In commercial aviation, full business class is usually denoted 'J' or 'C' with schedule flexibility, but can be many other letters depending on circumstances.
Miles & More is the frequent-flyer program owned and operated by the Lufthansa Group.
Airline booking ploys are used by travelers in commercial aviation to lower the price of flying by circumventing airlines' rules about how tickets may be used. They are generally a breach of the contract of carriage between the passenger and the airline, which airlines may try to enforce in various ways.
On most modern airlines, flying standby is when a passenger awaiting at the portline without a seat assignment waits at the gate to see if there is an extra seat after all scheduled passengers have boarded. There are several common circumstances in which passengers fly standby:
Loyalty marketing is a marketing strategy in which a company focuses on growing and retaining existing customers through incentives. Branding, product marketing, and loyalty marketing all form part of the customer proposition – the subjective assessment by the customer of whether to purchase a brand or not based on the integrated combination of the value they receive from each of these marketing disciplines.
Christopher P. Baker is a professional travel writer and photographer, adventure motorcyclist, tour leader, and Cuba expert, and the 2008 Lowell Thomas Award 'Travel Journalist of the Year.' He is a contributor to magazines and other publications worldwide, and is the author of travel guidebooks for publishers such as Dorling Kindersley, Lonely Planet, Moon Publications, and National Geographic.
Blackout dates are dates when travel rewards and other special discounts/promotions are not available. These dates typically fall on or around major holidays or other peak travel seasons. Time off requests from work may not be available during those times as well.
Mileage Plan is the frequent-flyer program of Alaska Airlines. Members accrue program "miles" by flying Alaska Airlines and partner-operated flights, using co-branded credit cards, and booking vacation and hotel packages, among other methods. Mileage Plan miles can be redeemed for award flights on Alaska Airlines and partner carriers and provide eligibility for elite status with Mileage Plan.
FlyerTalk is an Internet forum for discussion of airline frequent-flyer programs, hotel loyalty programs and other issues related to travel. The site was founded in 1998 by Randy Petersen and was acquired by Internet Brands in 2007.
MileagePlus is the frequent-flyer program of United Airlines that offers rewards to passengers traveling on certain types of tickets. Following the 2010 merger agreement between United and Continental Airlines, United Mileage Plus was chosen to be the frequent-flyer program for the combined airline. The program was subsequently renamed to MileagePlus, and maintains its relationship with its Star Alliance partners, as well as other airline and travel enterprise agreements.
AAirpass was a membership-based discount program offered by American Airlines to frequent flyers launched in 1981. The program offered pass holders free flights and unlimited access to Admirals Club locations for either five years or life. After the lifetime and unlimited travel AAirpass program was discontinued, American Airlines offered a different product under a similar name, which instead focused on prepaid fares at a fixed price for frequent business travelers, with an annual minimum commitment per traveller. American Airlines stopped offering this version of Airpass on November 30, 2022, and intended to fully unwind the program by March 31, 2024. Existing unlimited AAirpass memberships remain valid.
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) is a North American-based travel insurance company, headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Eli Ostreicher was a British-born American serial entrepreneur based in New York City. He was the founder and active CEO of GTTFP Holdings, originally a B2B luxury air-travel provider and Inc. 500 #1 awardee in the United States. GTTFP Holdings now houses Regal Wings, The Regal Card, Regal Jets, Luxury Wholesale Flights, One Bag Tag, VVandr, SHARGE, ThermBot, PillBot; a total of 11 brands.
SkyMiles is the frequent-flyer program of Delta Air Lines that offers points to passengers traveling on most fare types, as well as to consumers who utilize Delta co-branded credit cards, which accumulate towards free awards such as airline tickets, business and first-class upgrades, and luxury products. Created in 1981 as the "Delta Air Lines Frequent Flyer Program", its name was changed to SkyMiles in 1995. Originally all airlines including Delta, only gave miles for airline travel and not credit card expenditures. Delta claims to have been the first major U.S. airline without mileage expiration, so travelers can redeem awards at their leisure, but others have since followed. The airline also has a separate SkyBonus program that provides small to mid-sized business owners with a way to earn points for trips taken by employees, good towards free flights, upgrades, Medallion status and other travel awards. It has been ranked fairly high according to some independent news outlets.
A hotel loyalty program or hotel reward program is a loyalty program typically run by a hotel chain. It is a marketing strategy used by hotel chains to attract and retain business at their properties. The program works to entice customers, especially business or other frequent hotel guests, to favour that particular brand or group of hotels over others when selecting a hotel by offering discounts or privileges, such as upgrades.
The Points Guy (TPG) is an American travel website and blog that produces sponsored news and stories on travel, means of accumulating and using airline points and miles, politics, and credit cards - in particular, credit card reviews. The site was founded in 2010 and was initially a blog written by founder Brian Kelly. By 2017, the site employed 20 full-time staff in addition to 50 freelance contributors.
TSA PreCheck is a trusted traveler program initiated in December 2013 and administered by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration that allows selected members of select frequent flyer programs, members of Global Entry, Free and Secure Trade, NEXUS, and SENTRI, members of the US military, and cadets and midshipmen of the United States service academies to receive expedited screening for domestic and select international itineraries. As of October 2024, 104 airlines participate in the program, which is available at more than 200 airports.
AwardWallet is frequent flyer miles and points tracking site. It is considered to be the first in the genre, founded in 2004, and tracked more than 400 sites as of 2011. AwardWallet is based out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As of 2021, it has 700,000 users, despite some airlines blocking access to the app citing privacy concerns.
