Episode 778

Best of the Back Catalogue | ebookers Bonus+ Rewards Programme (#778)

Published on: 9th June, 2026

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As loyalty programmes continue to evolve, some of the most valuable lessons come from brands that focused on simplicity and customer value from the start.

In this episode of Let's Talk Loyalty, we revisit the story of the ebookers Bonus+ Rewards Programme, launched by online travel agency ebookers in 2016. Designed to be straightforward, generous, and mobile-first, Bonus+ demonstrated how travel brands could use loyalty to create meaningful differentiation in a highly competitive market.

Listen back as the team shares how they built the programme, the key performance indicators that mattered most, and how they adapted their thinking around member needs and expectations during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since this conversation was first recorded, ebookers' parent company, Expedia Group, has continued to consolidate its loyalty strategy across its portfolio of travel brands. Looking back, this episode provides a fascinating snapshot of a period when individual travel brands were developing distinctive loyalty propositions of their own, offering lessons that remain highly relevant for loyalty professionals today.

Whether you're interested in travel loyalty, digital engagement, or the enduring power of keeping loyalty simple, this episode is well worth revisiting.

Show Notes:

1) Nicki Helfet

2) ebookers Bonus+ Rewards Programme

3) Expedia Group

4) #38: ebookers Bonus+ Rewards Programme

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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.