Free travel with loyalty schemes (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Free travel with loyalty schemes

8:18am Tuesday 29th December 2009 in

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A rapidly-growing number of travellers are dodging the recession to enjoy free short breaks with their family using loyalty points they have earned from expenditure on earlier travels, usually on business.

InterContinental Hotels Group has seen a record surge in loyalty club membership this year, with three million new recruits in the past three months, according to director Nick Rich. Its Priority Club Rewards scheme has 47 million members, making it the largest in the world.

It seems travellers tend to return to hotels “where they know my name” in a recession, and they realise that loyalty points enable them to enjoy more holidays for little extra expense.

This approach is becoming so popular, Nick says, that club members now account for one-third of all nights spent in IHG hotels every year.

“More members than ever are cashing in points they have been collecting, taking advantage of free nights, free flights and offers through high-street retailers such as John Lewis and Boots,” he says.

IHG is involved in the running of nearly 4,400 hotels and more than 640,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories worldwide, with leading brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites.

Bob Atkinson of travelsupermarket.com says IHG’s is one of a number of successful traveller award schemes.

British Airways’ American Express card offers additional BA airmiles on flights and bookings with key partners such as hotel chains and car hire firms.

“If the price you pay is competitive, you can’t lose – and travellers love something for nothing,” Atkinson says.

“It is also worth checking, when you stay at a hotel, whether you are actually getting the points. I stayed at a Holiday Inn recently, and I wasn’t entitled to points because it had been booked through a bedbank.

“Similarly with air fares – there might not be many points on the cheapest fares, but a great number when you pay the highest fares. Of course, if employers pay their fares, this won’t worry business travellers.”

In its prediction for 2010, travelsupermarket says savvy travellers will seek value for money.

“Vouchers, available online to regular subscribers and successfully used by shops and restaurants, are spreading into the travel business with companies like TUI (Thomson) realising this is an effective way of getting traffic from a website,” it says.

In the past two months, travel firms offering vouchers on the website Moneysupermarket.com include Expedia, Hotels.com, Megabus, Hotel Connect, Low Cost Holidays and Alton Towers. Vouchers were also available to spend on British Airways First and Clubworld fares.

INFORMATION: IHG Group (ichotelsgroup.com). Apply for British Airways’ American Express card at AmericanExpress.com/BA.