Likes vs Value: The death of loyalty in travel

Luxury travellers would not click on an online hotel deal simply because it offers free breakfast. They would usually get their travel agents to do all the work for them. — Filepic

As travel wobbles and spending declines, hotels and airlines the world over are fighting to hold on to customers. Loyalty, the buzzword for much of the 1980s and 1990s when marquee brands strove to understand and closely identify with their audience, is being replaced by price incentives and a grab-all approach.

It is increasingly evident in the sorts of offers available online and the “best price guarantees” offered by many players to induce customers to stay with them on the basis of a slashed price rather than the excitement of enjoying a superior experience, perhaps also at a decent rate. Price has muscled out the product.