Episode 228

#228: Loyalty Insights from IAG Loyalty

Published on: 26th May, 2022

The International Airline Group is one of the world's largest airline groups, formed by the merger of British Airways and the Spanish Airline Iberia. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it flew to 279 destinations and carried approximately 118 million passengers per year.
IAG created a new unified loyalty currency called Avios, as well as a dedicated loyalty division that has been operating in various forms for over 30 years.
In this episode, we are joined by the Chief Product Officer of IAG Loyalty, Stephen Scott as we look at some of the big ideas that are engaging members right now, how they are evolving how they earn and spend their Avios, such as card linking and e-commerce, before moving on to emerging concepts that we're all starting to think about, such as NFTs.
Stephen explains how the pandemic impacted customers all over the world and changed their behaviour and use of technology and how IAG Loyalty has focused on achieving a complete digital transformation to support them.
There’s much more on the way as IAG Loyalty continues to expand.
Listen to this conversation and learn what the future holds for the loyalty division of the International Airlines Group.


This episode is sponsored by Collinson.


Show Notes:

  1. The International Airlines Group (IAG)
  2. Stephen Scott
  3. Avios

Time Stamps:

02:42 - Stephen Scott’s Favorite Loyalty Program

06:43 - Consumer's Behavior of loyalty currency with e-stores

12:16 - Avios Card Linking Proposition

13: 57 - Brands with card linking

15:39 - Where is the IAG Loyalty at now?

22:41 - Scott’s Experience with Digital Transformation

25:31 - Avios Digital Transformation journey

28:42 - Cultural Challenge

31:30 - Does the pandemic accelerate the digital transformation?

33:08 - IAG: Hangar 51 insight

36:39 - NFTs in the world of Loyalty

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About the Podcast

Let's Talk Loyalty
“Let’s Talk Loyalty” is an industry podcast for loyalty marketing professionals.

If you work in loyalty marketing, join us every week to learn the latest ideas and marketing insights from loyalty specialists around the world.

Check out our website on: http://www.letstalkloyalty.com/

About your host

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Paula Thomas

Paula Thomas is the Founder and CEO of Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV

Paula Thomas is an award-winning podcaster who founded the “Let’s Talk Loyalty” podcast and business in 2019, and Loyalty TV in 2023.

She has over twenty-five years blue-chip marketing experience, including almost a decade leading consumer loyalty programmes in multiple sectors including telecommunications, the energy sector, banking and airline loyalty programmes.

She is from Ireland and lives in Dubai.

Paula is a former judge for the “International Loyalty Awards”, and the author of the book “Driving Loyalty in Convenience Retail”.

She holds an Executive MBA from Smurfit Business College, one of Ireland’s top universities, and is a “Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional”.