Mark

Founder @ Loyalty Status Co, the creator of StatusMatch. Helped our airline partners acquire over $1B in new customer value. Editor at TravelDataDaily 🍊✈️🎉

[Mark @drdoot]

@tomfgoodwin Riyadh Air to launch AI native airline. Their website functionality looks identical to every other airline site. Maybe even slower. https://t.co/ynyvgx71Pj

[Mark @drdoot]

I have used 100's of these @InterConHotels pens over the years.

What surprises me is that 100% of these pens fail within a month, rendering them useless. The twisting mechanism fails to keep the ball/socket outside of the pen.

[Tom Goodwin @tomfgoodwin]

Whoever decided self check-in and bag tagging for biz class was a good idea should be shot.

Employing huge swathes of staff to train customers how to do their jobs is inexcusable in the hospitality industry.

Management consultant thinking is poison

[Mark @drdoot]

I enjoy flying Finnair.

Also enjoy receiving and opening their emails to see what's happening

If Finnair had global tracking, they'd easily know I fly more than 99% of their members.

The only thing I don't do is fly with a Finanir Plus account on my booking.

This is why I'm so optimistic about the airline loyalty industry.

There is so much easy upside compared to other industries.

[Mark @drdoot]

@dougrathbone @Qantas When it finally does happen, you can bet that Qantas will PR it soo hard that you'll think they invented the internet.

[Mark @drdoot]

@paulembs @British_Airways I flew their new 777 biz recently and found it pretty good.

Must admit it was tempting not to hand out status match tags to everyone around me with their flashy BA gold tags 🤣

[Mark @drdoot]

The British Airways downgrade tsunami begins May 1.

Since January, competing airlines have launched what might be the largest high-value customer acquisition spree in aviation history.

The following airlines matched BA members:

Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Lufthansa Miles & More
SAS EuroBonus
Vietnam Airlines
TAP Air Portugal
Air Astana
United Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Turkish Airlines
Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic said they matched 10,000+ BA elites.

AF/KLM have said that the BA elites they matched booked 17,500 incremental flights, mostly in premium class cabins. These are not cheap customers....

The important thing to remember is that just because one airline doesn't deem you worthy of status, it doesn't mean that you're not a valuable flyer.

As a status holder, you're in the top 5% of commercial travellers globally.

You may not be in BA's top 5%, but you can be in someone else's. Someone who will value your business.

There are plenty of airlines that want your business and treat you like the great customer that you are.

Always fly with whoever treats you the best.

https://t.co/SRcHb5JN8x

[Mark @drdoot]

British Airways will eventually get it right...maybe

But the train (plane?) wreck continues...

https://t.co/8WaNoKB7Ai

[Mark @drdoot]

Status Match is so successful that British Airways had to renew everyone's status for free to avoid the fallout.

Congrats to all the airlines who offered a lifeline to BA elites.

https://t.co/8oVttpO13n

[Mark @drdoot]

Hey, hotels - want loyalty to feel less transactional?

This could be achieved overnight by deleting the co-brand credit card portfolios, stopping the sale of points directly to consumers, and ceasing room discounting.

The current model sorta, kinda works because both points earn and status benefits work together.

Remove one, kill the synergy that makes it work.

https://t.co/JD1d2MrNqH

[Mark @drdoot]

@JSS779 I look at it like this. Widebodies cost more to fly. Therefore, I get 'my money worth' by flying them vs narrow body.

[Mark @drdoot]

Flying Blue launches choice benefits for Platinum members

[Mark @drdoot]

@iamjustjono Investigating...

[Mark @drdoot]

Over 10,000 British Airways elite status holders matched to Virgin Atlantic.

Now we add in those who matched to AF/KLM...

Plus those who matched to Lufthansa Miles & More...

And those who matched to SAS EuroBonus...

Plus those who matched away in 2025 who no longer fly BA...

That's a lot of attrition...

https://t.co/zotDRkglj7

[Mark @drdoot]

Many will drop down a tier.

Another 100,000 may status match out to try a new airline.

But the real risk is when elites give up and start flying based on price, network or something other than loyalty benefits.

You see once flyers try a new airline they realised that intra Europe the seats are identical on every career, lounges are mostly the same and if you pay for all the upsells with a low cost carrier, you're getting more and paying less.

The risk is when flyers disconnect from 'premium' loyalty, because they rarely go back.

This is what has helped fuel the cost of low cost carriers...

https://t.co/md7JUhj7Ri

[Rewards Canada @RewardsCanada]

SkyTeam Elite Status Match opportunity using Air Canada, WestJet or even hotel elite status!
Perfect for those flying on Air France or KLM thanks to the 25% bonus from Amex.
Learn more here: https://t.co/xME5Dxd9yL

[Mark @drdoot]

@JTGenter Neither had a genuine local flavour. Sad to see sites shut down but it highlights the importance of understanding what makes things tick locally

[Mark @drdoot]

If you hold ITA Volare elite status, this might be your last chance to get Lufthansa Miles & More status through a match.

https://t.co/5XSqOc8l3T

[Mark @drdoot]

NEW: Get SAS status for 23 months by matching your BA status
https://t.co/dZaVHGQu0x

[Mark @drdoot]

The Status Cliff is real and the real loser in this may be other oneworld airlines.

When BA downgrades masses of members next month, those same members will also stop flying oneworld carriers.

BA might not see a problem, but for other airlines, alliance traffic is the reason they are in the alliance!

The downgrade tsunami is going to hit more than just BA
https://t.co/c6YKIV7odx