Speculation is rising based on news from undisclosed sources that Aeromexico, the largest airline in Mexico is considering a spin-off of its frequent flyer program. There is successful precedent in doing so, with Air Canada’s IPO for its FFP becoming the roots of global loyalty leader Aimia, and two Brazilian airlines, GOL and TAM having completed successful transactions in 2013 and 2010 respectively.
From the Bloomberg report which you can find here, Aimia is now a 49% shareholder in PLM, the holding company for Aeromexico’s FFP, currently valued at $518 Million.
The next time someone asks you if loyalty marketing can be profitable, I hope you won’t fumble for an answer.