Bill Hanifin
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27 May 2015
12:09
It’s increasingly difficult to create differentiation in a frequent flyer program. Some days, it seems a team could fill a white board with ideas, only to come up with a short list that others have tried before.
That’s why the announcement by Southwest that they were adding an opportunity for Rapid Rewards members to earn points based on tickets purchased to major league sporting events caught our attention. Here are some quick facts:
What’s the Deal?
- Rapid Reward members can now earn between 3 and 22 points (per $1 dollar) for ticket purchases with an additional 1,000 point bonus after the first purchase.
- Southwest is dubbing it as a “first-of-its-kind ticketing experience”.
- Rapid Rewards members can not only earn these additional points, but can also save up to 60% on ticket prices when purchasing NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and NCAA tickets via Scorebig.com.
Who is Scorebig?
- Scorebig.com is an online marketplace offering tickets to different live events with no convenience fees.
- Forbes named ScoreBig.com as one of America’s Most Promising Companies and Billboard ranked it among the 10 Most Innovative Start-ups.
Why is this Newsworthy?
- Americans love to spend discretionary dollars on sports and entertainment. Southwest is rewarding members for doing what they love, whether it’s attending a baseball game or going to a show at the theater.
- Airlines have offered the chance to earn points or miles from non-flight revenue for years, but the offers have typically been limited to travel related categories like rental cars. This partnership enables members to accumulate points in a new category and save them for use in future travel plans.
- The partnership also creates a level of personalisation with Rapid Rewards members which Southwest undoubtedly hopes to translate into stronger brand loyalty.
