Episode 774

Best of the Back Catalogue | AAdvantage: Loyalty Lessons That Still Matter Today (#774)

Published on: 26th May, 2026

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This week, we’re revisiting one of our most insightful conversations with Bridget Blaise-Shamai, former President of the AAdvantage Program at American Airlines — and now one of our wonderful Let’s Talk Loyalty hosts.

In this episode, Bridget shares timeless lessons on customer engagement, personalization, loyalty ecosystems, and why relevance is at the heart of every successful loyalty strategy.

From building emotional connection with customers to creating value beyond travel, this conversation remains incredibly relevant for loyalty marketers today.

A must-listen episode for anyone thinking about the future of loyalty, trust, and customer relationships.

Show Notes:

1) Bridget Blaise-Shamai

2) AAdvantage Program

3) American Airlines

4)#32: AAdvantage - Caring for Loyal Customers through Challenging Times.

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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”.

In 2025, she was chosen as the International Loyalty Industry Personality of the Year.