Ryanair joins its first rewards scheme to boost loyalty

by Noelle McElhatton, marketingdirectmag.co.uk 29-Jun-09, 12:28

LONDON - Ryanair has joined its first rewards programme to offer cash back and product discounts to regular flyers to help drive repeat sales - at a cost to passengers of £10 a month.

The airline stressed that its membership of online Webloyalty’s Shopper Discounts & Rewards programme was not a precursor to a full Ryanair airline loyalty scheme which would be "too expensive to run".

Passengers on the low fares airline will be given the option to join Webloyalty’s Shopper Discounts & Rewards membership programme for £10 a month when they book tickets online, with a 30-day free trial on offer.

Incentives include an initial £15 cash back voucher on Ryanair flight bookings, a £10 voucher for subsequent Ryanair bookings and discounts of up to 20% from the scheme’s 700 online retail members, including Interflora, Expedia and National Express.

Martin Child, Webloyalty’s European managing director, said the service would help Ryanair "reward its repeat customers whilst providing a revenue stream and repeat business to their web pages, with minimal effort required by them to implement the programme".

A spokesperson for Ryanair, which caused controversy recently with plans to introduce a charge to use toilets onboard and axe baggage handlers, told Marketing Direct that the move would not pave the way for a full Ryanair loyalty programme.

"Webloyalty is different to the traditional loyalty programmes that airlines operate," the spokesman said. "Our loyalty [efforts are] based around price and service [and so] you’re not likely to see a Ryanair airmiles programme. They’re too expensive to run anyway."

The spokesperson added that Ryanair’s 15% rise in yearly traffic to 67 million passengers was proof of users' loyalty to the airline.

Members of the Webloyalty scheme also receive Best Price Guarantee and automatic Extended Warranty protections.