How airlines can rebuild loyalty in the age of AI

The Relational Anchor

How can travel brands, especially airlines, truly connect with travelers and move beyond the purely transactional relationships most of them have today?

That’s the key question we want to answer in this second chapter of The Loyalty Shift series.

Quick reminder:

In our inaugural article, we explored the cracks in today’s airline booking experience.

• Booking flights has turned into a price-driven battlefield: a place of constant deal-hunting, fading transparency, and travelers who treat airlines as interchangeable.
• We also showed how classical loyalty programs no longer bridge that gap, as airlines have steadily downgraded their programs to maximize short-term profits, while younger generations have lost patience for collecting points, perks, and elite tiers that feel increasingly meaningless.

Fresh research from a credible third-party backs this up.

Skift recently found that airline loyalty collapses when convenience and relevance are missing. Both factors rank significantly higher than price in determining whether travelers stick with a frequent flyer program.

Our thesis: To rebuild connection, airlines need to rethink what customer value really means.

• True loyalty isn’t earned through points or perks anymore. That’s retention at best. In fact, most so-called loyalty programs today are really just reward programs: transactional systems that incentivize repeat purchases without building real emotional attachment.
• Loyalty, by contrast, requires a different foundation. Real loyalty is rooted in trust. Trust is the traveler’s confidence that every interaction will deliver value, control, and ease.

And that trust underlies what we call the log-in relationship: a voluntary, ongoing engagement that travelers choose because it consistently earns their confidence.

In this second chapter, we’ll unpack how airlines can build that trust through a clear framework, backed by data and real-world loyalty examples.

Defining the Relational Anchor

So, how do you build trust?

What does it really take for travelers to believe in an airline brand again?

It’s one of the oldest questions in marketing, and one with no shortage of academic answers.

But in practice, the formula is surprisingly straightforward.

We’re convinced that the relational anchor airlines need to engage travelers today and in the future (especially given the rise of AI, more on that later) rests on three distinct factors that, together, create trust:

Access. Control. Convenience.

These may sound like vague marketing buzzwords.

But they form the practical foundation of a log-in relationship: the principle that decides whether a log-in feels like a favor to the airline or a service to the traveler.

Let’s look at each one and how they translate into real-world practice.

1. Access: Earning the right to a relationship

Access is the most fundamental building block of trust. And, for many airlines, the most misunderstood.

In a world of endless comparison sites today and AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini planning and eventually booking entire trips on a traveler’s behalf, the very idea of choice is being redefined.

Soon, travelers won’t browse. They’ll ask an AI to curate the “best” option for them.

That’s why access becomes the ultimate moat: a form of value that can’t be scraped, price-matched, or replicated by AI.

Exclusive access (think products, bundles, or benefits behind a log-in that can’t simply be found through AI interfaces) will likely become the only remaining reason travelers still visit a brand’s own ecosystem.

In other words: access is about unlocking something others can’t see.

That gate isn’t a barrier. It’s an invitation.

When travelers log in, they should feel they’re entering a richer world of travel possibilities, such as exclusive fares, hidden combinations, priority options, or greater rebooking flexibility.

It’s about value that justifies the act of signing in.

Secret Escapes is perhaps the clearest expression of access done right in the travel context.

• As the original “members-only” platform for luxury travel deals, it pioneered the concept of exclusive travel access long before it became a buzzword.
• Its promise was simple: limited-time offers on high-end hotels and getaways, only available to registered members.
• That access-first model not only survived the OTA era dominated by Expedia and Booking; it thrived. In 2023, Secret Escapes turned profitable, becoming one of travel tech’s quiet success stories in the shadow of the industry’s OTA giants.

AirAsia’s SuperApp follows a similar logic at scale.

• It gives signed-up travelers exclusive access to flights, hotels, ride-hailing, and food delivery, and, more importantly, it runs a dedicated Sales & Promotions section offering deals across all these services that are available only to logged-in users.
• In short: logging in literally unlocks value, reinforcing the act of membership as the gateway to better options.

Delta’s SkyMiles program shows the same principle at work in the airline context (even though on a more limited scale). Members now enjoy free Wi-Fi on most domestic flights and exclusive entertainment options through the Delta Sync content bundle (benefits only available to logged-in users).

Outside travel, the access playbook has already been perfected in other industries.

In fashion, for instance, brands have mastered the art of building status through limited access. Think of Nike’s SNKRS app, where the most loyal community members get early access to exclusive sneaker drops. This isn’t about discounts alone; it’s about belonging to an inner circle of die-hard brand believers.

And one of the most inspiring community-based models comes from the cycling world.

The Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) offers a paid membership that grants exclusive access not just to discounted products, but also to physical clubhouses around the world, curated rides, and members-only events. It’s not a points-based scheme; it’s a lifestyle community.

That’s what emotional, log-in–based loyalty looks like: belonging, not bribing.

In all fairness, the idea of exclusivity and priority in travel isn’t new.

• Exclusive access once defined the golden age of airline loyalty programs; think back to when lounge entry genuinely felt rare, not overcrowded.
• More than that, for decades, airlines have built loyalty on the concept of priority, like being first where it matters most: at check-in or during boarding.

Priority meant recognition. It made travelers feel valued.

But in today’s world, priority access needs to evolve beyond physical lines.

• True priority now means seeing and securing travel options before everyone else (like flights, upgrades, or packages released first to loyal members).
• It’s about creating a preview window where travelers get first pick, not just faster service.

That’s when access starts feeling like privilege, not just convenience.

This idea of prioritized access is already embedded in some of the strongest access models today, like Secret Escapes and AirAsia’s SuperApp.

And consumers love it. Research shows that early access consistently ranks among the most valued loyalty benefits, cited by more than half of all members (even outranking personalized offers).

And there’s another big advantage: by offering flights or packages to members before they reach the general crowd, those offers stay safely out of AI’s reach.

But access goes deeper than priority.

It’s also about unlocking travel that would otherwise be out of reach: more volume, more frequency.

It enables travelers to say “yes” to more trips, not because prices dropped, but because travel is readily available, easier, and faster.

In Chapter 1 of The Loyalty Shift, we showed how younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z), who already represent the majority of global travel spending, see travel as part of their identity.

For them, access to cross-border travel isn’t a luxury; it’s a baseline.

So, how can travel brands enable easier access to travel at volume?

That’s the million-dollar question.

• At Caravelo, we’ve seen one proven approach: subscriptions, especially our all-you-can-fly passes (now deployed with multiple airline partners worldwide, alongside several more in development).
• Interesting side note: Around 60% of Caravelo’s end users are Millennials, confirming the generational sweet spot (more on this in our next article).

Another powerful enabler for accessing travel at volume is guarantee.

Guarantee is about certainty, arguably the most valuable form of access when something is scarce.

• Think about a peak holiday flight, a sold-out route, or a last-minute seat.
• That’s when anxiety kicks in.

Guaranteed access removes that anxiety.

It’s the promise that even when things are tight, you’re covered: a seat is held, a spot is reserved, a rebooking is assured.

Guarantee transforms loyalty from a gamble into a contract.

You choose us (the airline) repeatedly; now we choose you back, no matter what.

It’s the ultimate sign of reciprocal commitment.

A strong example of this logic in action comes from Accor, which recently unified its global subscription program under the ALL Plus umbrella.

• One of its standout features: guaranteed room availability, even when hotels are otherwise fully booked.
• It’s subject to specific conditions, sure, but as a principle, it’s one of the strongest trust builders in modern travel.

We conclude: Access is about three things: priority (exclusivity that AI can’t scrape), volume (frequency unlocked), and guarantee (the assurance that turns loyalty into a two-way commitment).

But Access is only the first step in earning a traveler’s trust.

Once travelers are logged in (and they’ve been invited into that richer experience) expectations rise.

They no longer just want access; they want agency.

They want to feel in control of their relationship with the airline, not at the mercy of price fluctuations, hidden fees, or complex booking rules.

2. Control: Turning transparency into empowerment

If there’s one emotion airlines (and travel brands in general) must overcome to rebuild trust, it’s helplessness.

For too long, travelers have felt trapped in a system of hidden fees, shifting fares, and unpredictable pricing.

Quick reminder: finding the best price remains the number one booking frustration in 2025, even after almost two decades of online metasearch platforms promising clarity.

That’s the trust deficit the industry needs to fix.

Control is how.

Control means putting travelers back in charge of their relationship with the airline, instead of forcing them to passively react to price fluctuations.

Control can take different forms.

Sure, AI interfaces like ChatGPT already offer cognitive superpowers to compare prices across hundreds of sites, providing a new level of data transparency.

But transparency alone won’t create trust.

Even with perfect data, travelers won’t feel in control unless they can act on that knowledge.

That’s where a new generation of business models comes in.

• At Caravelo, we’ve seen how flight subscriptions and memberships can shift this dynamic.
• These approaches enable travelers to actively shape their travel spend.

In the case of all-you-can-fly subscriptions: the more travelers fly at a fixed monthly price point, the lower their per-trip cost. This results in a predictable pattern that travelers can actively steer.

But the concept of control goes far beyond spend.

It’s also about real-time agency: the ability to make and adjust travel decisions as life happens.

Younger travelers, especially Gen Z, expect to make those decisions on the go.

They’re far more likely to purchase ancillaries such as seat upgrades while waiting at the gate, which is one reason companies like Plusgrade have been able to expand so successfully.

Zooming out, the same pattern appears in how trips are planned.

Younger generations are far more likely to book at the last minute, and just as eager to cancel or change their plans if needed.

This two-sided spontaneity (the freedom to book late and to back out easily) defines modern control.

• It’s one of the reasons many Caravelo subscription users cite freedom as their top motivator.
• An annual “All You Can Fly” agreement gives travelers the confidence to plan more trips and adjust their schedules along the way (without the stress or heavy extra costs typical of today’s flight booking system). 

Long story short: Control means empowering travelers to make, change, multiply, or undo their travel decisions entirely on their own terms.

And this shift toward traveler control is gaining real traction across the travel industry.

The rise of Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) options is one of the clearest signs.

• Airlines such as Volaris, Flyadeal, Jazeera Airways, and Virgin Australia now offer CFAR add-ons that allow passengers to cancel their booking up to 24 hours before departure; typically for a partial or full refund depending on the fare and service purchased.
• Online travel agencies are moving in the same direction: Hopper has integrated CFAR protection directly into its booking flow, while Indian OTA MakeMyTrip now includes a similar benefit as part of its premium MakeMyTrip Black membership program.

3. Convenience: Removing friction, earning loyalty

Last but not least is Convenience. It’s closely connected to control, but it also stands as a loyalty driver in its own right.

If control gives travelers the power to act, convenience removes the need to overthink.

And that’s exactly what the chaotic, comparison-heavy booking landscape is missing today.

• The modern traveler doesn’t want 20+ tabs open. 
• They want a booking flow that feels more like logging into Netflix or Amazon Prime: quick, predictable, and intuitive.

The urgency for more convenience (and less friction) becomes clear when looking at airline website abandonment rates.

They remain significantly higher, more than 10 percentage points above other retail categories, including high-priced electronics.

That’s a clear signal of friction and frustration.

Travelers are simply fed up with the mental complexity it takes to book a flight.

At Caravelo, we see subscriptions as a direct antidote to this complexity.

Research supports our conviction. According to Travelport, nearly half of all surveyed travelers cite convenience as the #1 reason they would commit to a “Netflix-like” travel subscription model.

Why? Subscriptions simplify decisions.

They replace constant price-hunting with a single, predictable experience.

No more repeated searches, no more mental math, just frictionless access to travel that feels effortless.

A great example of “convenience in action” (beyond subscriptions) comes from Hopper, whose entire product ecosystem is built around simplifying flight decisions.

• Its Predictive Pricing tool automatically tracks fares and alerts travelers when a route is unlikely to get any cheaper, thereby removing the need to manually check prices again and again.
• Its Price Freeze feature allows travelers to lock in a flight’s fare for up to several days by paying a small fee. If the fare increases, Hopper covers the difference; if it drops, travelers pay the lower price. 

This feature removes uncertainty from the booking process and reduces the need to start research from scratch each time you check prices. It offers peace of mind, arguably the most underrated form of convenience. In fact, many airlines are already following suit by offering similar price-freeze options directly on their websites (often whitelabeled by Hopper).

Another strong example of convenience comes from Wizz Air (by the way one of Caravelo’s airline customers).

• Its Wizz Privilege Pass functions as a prepaid ancillary membership that predefines services such as seat selection, priority boarding, and carry-on baggage.
• Instead of having to choose these add-ons for every booking, travelers have them saved in advance, turning repeat decisions into a one-click process.

We can find even more inspiration outside of the travel industry.

The Starbucks App is a masterclass in convenience.

• It allows users to order and pay ahead via mobile, skipping the queue entirely.
• When customers arrive, their coffee is ready, so a model built entirely around saving time and reducing friction.

And the same “convenience-first” logic is now being translated into mobility.

• Uber’s Prepaid Pass allows riders to purchase a set number of trips (for example, 5, 10, or 20 rides) at a locked-in price per trip.
• It’s prepaid predictability: no surprise surges, no checkout delays, just travel made effortless through foresight.

What all these examples teach us: Convenience isn’t just about speed; it’s about peace of mind.

Convenience also comes from recognition.

Travelers are more likely to return to brands that remember their preferences, such as seat choices, payment details, and favorite routes.

And that kind of personalization only becomes possible once a log-in relationship exists. Once a traveler is logged in, the airline isn’t just serving a passenger anymore; it’s engaging a known customer. That unlocks an entirely new layer of opportunity: personalized retail. From ancillary bundles and upgrades to dynamic offers that match a traveler’s behavior and intent, convenience becomes the gateway to a smarter, more profitable form of merchandising.

From Transactions to Anchored Relationships

In an increasingly AI-driven travel world, choice is becoming automated.

Digital agents will soon plan, compare, and even book on travelers’ behalf, reducing brands to one option among many.

That’s why airlines can’t compete on price, visibility, or convenience alone.

The only lasting edge will come from anchored relationships: log-in-based connections built on Access, Control, and Convenience.

But the real opportunity goes beyond defense.

Anchored relationships are also an offensive play.

They deepen the traveler–airline connection and lay the groundwork for a broader evolution in airline retail, one where transactional retention transforms into a personalized, trust-driven commerce ecosystem.

A glimpse of that future is already visible in the cruise industry.

Virgin Voyages launched an annual pass in late 2024 that allows passengers to sail on any ship in its fleet, anywhere in the world, for an entire year (an industry first).

• At $120,000 USD, it’s clearly designed for a niche group of luxury nomads.
• But what makes it remarkable is how it checks nearly every Relational Anchor box.

Take Access: The pass offers constant, borderless entry to international travel and luxury amenities, positioned as “better value than maintaining residences in major global cities.”

For Control + Convenience: pass holders can bring different companions on each voyage at no additional base fare, while enjoying seamless, guaranteed availability across the fleet.

Check out the additional perks pass holders experience on every voyage.

It’s a concept the airline industry should watch closely. Virgin Voyages is selling a long-term, high-value relationship that opens continuous points of engagement and transaction.

Anchored relationships have the power to deepen the traveler–airline bond and lay the foundation for a new era of airline retail.

The Relational Anchor Checklist

Turning the Relational Anchor into reality requires more than marketing slogans. It’s a product and experience design challenge – by the way, one we regularly expose ourselves to at Caravelo. 

Below is a basic checklist we use internally to benchmark ourselves against our Relational Anchor thesis.  It’s something we thought of sharing with you as well.

The checklist serves as a quick self-assessment tool for airline and travel brand leaders to evaluate whether their go-to-market approach truly creates anchored, log-in–based relationships.

Use it to test if your products, loyalty programs, and digital touchpoints are designed for the next era of traveler trust.