On February 24, it was announced that the South African carrier, Airlink, will be launching its first frequent flyer program, named Skybucks.
This article will run through what Airlink’s new frequent flyer program consists of as well as the benefits to its customers.
Airlink’s Skybucks
Airlink will launch Skybucks on March 1, 2023, which will mean that their customers will now have the ability to earn various rewards when they fly with Airlink, then be able to utilize them on future services and products run by Airlink.
Skybucks will launch with four different tiers, which are separated by the number of sectors each passenger has flown within a 12-month period. The tiers are as follows –
- Blue Tier – This is the starting tier where customers will sit who have flown less than 18 sectors.
- Red Tier – This is the second tier that is for customers who have flown between 18 to 34 sectors.
- Emerald Tier – This is the third tier that is for customers who have flown 35 sectors and above.
- Black Tier – This fourth tier is only given on an invitational basis by Airlink.
The term “sectors” is specified in how many legs the passenger has flown, for example, a service from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back will result in the count of two sectors.
As with most frequent flyer programs, the higher the tier, the greater the benefits and rewards will be. However, initially, Skybucks will be used to pay for either full or partial payment of Airlink flight tickets but over time more rewards will be added across the four tiers.
A passenger’s Skybucks will remain valid for 18 months from the date of their last flight with Airlink, however, it is possible to extend the validity period before their Skybucks expire.
Another great benefit of using Skybucks is that they are shareable across members, as well as families can pool their Skybucks across eight different members.
If you enroll during March 2023, Airlink will reward you with 1,000 Skybucks. Customers can sign-up here when the program goes live on March 1.
Executive Comments
Talking about their new frequent flyer program, Airlink’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, says, “Since Airlink became a totally independent carrier in 2020, we have been inundated by customer requests and suggestions for a unique Airlink loyalty program.”
“We have spent the past year researching, planning, and developing our compelling new Skybucks program.”
“It enables our loyal customers to earn a rand value percentage on every flight and to redeem Skybucks on their next flight as a form of payment to more than 45 destinations in 13 sub-Sahara African countries, including Madagascar and St Helena Island.”
“Besides providing a great added value loyalty program for our customers, in doing so, we are also taking every measure to safeguard customer data privacy and are using servers situated in the European Union to manage the Skybucks membership information.”
“As a result, data management and security will be compliant with both the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).”
Overall
With Airlink launching its new frequent flyer program, is this a sign that the South African aviation network is finally heading in the direction it needs? Only time will tell, but it certainly gives the sector a positive-leaning outlook.
Hopefully, this frequent flyer program proves to be a benefit for Airlink by not only retaining a customer base but also slowly beginning to regrow it again.
