The Concept Of Loyalty

[QF029]

I hear loyalty mentioned a lot in this forum, usually in the context of QF's loyal pax not being valued or rewarded.

Are the pax actually being loyal - or acting out of self interest because all their eggs are in the QF basket and they would be worse off going elsewhere (at least in the current membership year)?

Loyalty to me would be when you're better off moving to a different airline / alliance (costs / points / redemptions / lounge access) but stay with QF because of past experiences. I don't think many people (including me) would do that.

Any thoughts?

 

[Moopere]

Loyalty to me would be when you're better off moving to a different airline / alliance (costs / points / redemptions / lounge access) but stay with QF because of past experiences. I don't think many people (including me) would do that.

I would call that 'history' rather than loyalty. A good, or at least benign, historical experience providing incentive to try for the same again.

Loyalty, in the context we use it here, is definitely a two way street. What stops us showing up for a trip and choosing the cheapest airline of any particular day?

So called 'loyalty' is a big part of it. The airline recognises you as being loyal and treats you in some way, you recognise the treatment and remain flying with the airline.

But loyalty can change if the relationship becomes, or is perceived to be, one sided.

 

[QF029]

What stops us showing up for a trip and choosing the cheapest airline of any particular day?

So called 'loyalty' is a big part of it.

I don't think it's loyalty. From my experience it's the perks which makes you choose a more expensive fare. Seat selection, status credits, points, lounge access all play a part.

 

[Moopere]

I don't think it's loyalty. From my experience it's the perks which makes you choose a more expensive fare. Seat selection, status credits, points, lounge access all play a part.

If you were to take a snapshot in time I'd agree. But loyalty is built over time.

If you could pay a bit more for a ticket and get all the perks of say a QF Platinum, then probably there wouldn't really be any loyalty. We'd turn up, decide the class of ticket and the style of service we'd like and pay for that on the day.

Instead though, we fly a few times with an airline, they notice and treat us with something, thus the loyalty relationship begins. You like the treatment, fly some more, the treatment gets more and more exclusive.

You could probably use another word for it, but loyalty isn't a terrible choice. People are loyal to their partners so long as their partners treat them properly. Its a two way street and takes time and care.

 

[oz_mark]

From the company side, the idea behind loyalty marketing is that it forms part of the brand proposition, providing a mechanism by which they try to get customers to funnel their travel through the one airline. The airline provides you incentives to direct your business in their direction - that is it becomes part of the product proposition of what they are offering (together with branding etc).

In essence, when you make a decision to purchase a product or service, you weigh up the perceived value of the products on offer in making a decision. For a lot of folk, the benefits that come with membership of an airline program provides benefits that they may not get elsewhere.

 

[QF029]

I can see what Moopere is saying. I also think oz_mark is right when he says for the customer it's essentially a commercial decision. I think for MOST people, loyalty from the customer side doesn't come into it.

E.g. Staying with QF to achieve LTG isn't loyalty - it's self interest.

 

[dfcatch]

I can see what Moopere is saying. I also think oz_mark is right when he says for the customer it's essentially a commercial decision. I think for MOST people, loyalty from the customer side doesn't come into it.

E.g. Staying with QF to achieve LTG isn't loyalty - it's self interest.

Self interest in this context IS loyalty.

You're remaining loyal to QF because you find the proposition of LTG interests you.

The perks (or "self interest") that you get from the product is all part of your assessment of its perceived value to you.

QF have gained your loyalty by giving and offering you perks. If they take them away - then you are left with a commercial decision based purely on price.

Now - you may remain loyal for other reasons - ie. habit, familiarity with terminals/procedures/staff, you may like the soft/hard product etc, it all works in the mix together.

Loyalty in the basic form is like the coffee shop...... You get rewarded with your 10th coffee free in appreciation of you buying 9 coffees from that shop.

It's a reward/discount/kick-back/perk for shopping (flying) multiple times with the same merchant (airline).

 

[Moopere]

E.g. Staying with QF to achieve LTG isn't loyalty - it's self interest.

Aha but is loyalty ever completely devoid of any self interest? I mean any definition of loyalty, not only airline related?

 

[QF029]

To me loyalty implies in spite of gain / benefit not because of it. I can see though that different people will have their own slant on it.

 

[dfcatch]

To me loyalty implies in spite of gain / benefit not because of it. I can see though that different people will have their own slant on it.

You can be right, depending on the circumstance.

But there will always be "something" influencing that loyalty. It may be direct "self interest" such as discounts, or perks.

It may also be the intangibles, such as habit, familiarity, warm fuzzy feeling, patriotism etc.

But there is ALWAYS a reason that you are loyal. Doesn't always have to be direct financial benefit (in fact usually isn't).

You can be loyal to friends or employer or country through intangibles such as moral obligation or duty. Whether you actively think about the reason or not, there will still be an influencing factor.

 

[Pvcmenace]

Here is my two bobs worth.

I am loyal to Qantas for a number of reasons, firstly it's Australian owned and iconic, so few brands are these days. Secondly in 2004 I purchased QP life for my partner and I knowing we would never make gold as all our travel is self funded, who can pass up a comfortable place to sit and have a drink when waiting for a delayed flight. Thirdly an extensive domestic and international selection of destinations.

And finally I feel safe flying with them, pilot training and maintenance, I think are important to my family and I. As in the past have flown some dodgy airlines.

To some extent it mostly comes down to the outlay of QP life and the FF program that keep me coming back even though there are cheaper options out there.

 

[QF029]

Here is my two bobs worth.

I am loyal to Qantas for a number of reasons, firstly it's Australian owned and iconic, so few brands are these days. Secondly in 2004 I purchased QP life for my partner and I knowing we would never make gold as all our travel is self funded, who can pass up a comfortable place to sit and have a drink when waiting for a delayed flight. Thirdly an extensive domestic and international selection of destinations.

And finally I feel safe flying with them, pilot training and maintenance, I think are important to my family and I. As in the past have flown some dodgy airlines.

To some extent it mostly comes down to the outlay of QP life and the FF program that keep me coming back even though there are cheaper options out there.

I agree that choosing QF because it's Australian owned and iconic is a good example of loyalty (although not necessarily to QF). The others I would classify (particularly the QP life) as self interest (even the safety consideration).

A good example of my thoughts is the velocity status match. Once more perks were added to the equation, we saw a few members willing to give them a try because the value proposition had changed.they now had perks