AirMiles, one of the UK’s best-known reward schemes, is to be scrapped and rebranded Avios in November, backed by a major marketing campaign.
The brand launched in 1988 and has been the stamping ground for many of the industry’s key figures, including Keith Mills, Wanda Goldwag and Nigel Grimes.
It is being axed following the merger of British Airways with Iberia to form International Airlines Group (IAG) and the need to create a scheme which will run across all territories.
BA subsidiary The Mileage Company will continue to operate the scheme in the UK and AirMiles current customers are being told of the move through a direct mail and email campaign launching this week.
Head of brand at The Mileage Company Rahul Patel said the Avios brand – co-created with Interbrand – has been tested and researched across several markets. He added: “The ambition is to make the points a much more desirable and valuable currency than they currently are.”
The move will see a raft of new customer benefits, such as more opportunities to collect points and the ability to book one-way flights. Previously AirMiles could only be used for return bookings.
A major branding campaign will launch in mid-November, through marketing agency 101. It will embrace television, outdoor and print advertising along with social media, digital and PR activity and will continue the AirMiles positioning of “Rewarding Travel”.
In June, Dan Martin, the head of customer engagement at The Mileage Company, left the business to pursue new opportunities. He had been at the company 8 years.
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