Points and miles may dominate the loyalty conversation, but they’re far from the only way to build lasting customer relationships. In the final episode of our Loyalty Series, Dan sits down with Nicholas Friend, Head of Brand, Marketing and Customer Experience at Unlimited Vacation Club, to explore a different model, one built around membership, belonging, and exclusive access across Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection resorts.

Nicholas explains what members actually receive when they join, from preferred rates and room upgrades to VIP experiences and personalized service that begins long before check-in. But beyond the perks, the conversation explores something deeper: how a membership program can foster a genuine sense of community. From members who return year after year and form friendships at events to the excitement of being among the first guests to experience a new resort, loyalty becomes about connection as much as benefits.

Loyalty has become one of the most powerful forces in travel and one of the most misunderstood. For travelers, it's about perks, upgrades, and lounge access. For airlines, it's a multi-billion-dollar business that influences everything from customer retention to revenue growth. But what happens when loyalty extends beyond a single airline and into a global alliance?

In the second episode of our Loyalty Series, Dan sits down with Gilbert Ott, Director of Loyalty at oneworld Alliance, for a behind-the-scenes look at how alliance loyalty works, why it matters, and where there's still room for improvement.

Price used to win bookings. In 2026, elite status is quietly winning loyalty and it may be the most underleveraged ancillary revenue opportunity in travel.

In the first episode of our Loyalty Series, Dan is joined by Loyalty Status Co. CEO Mark Ross-Smith and CFO Stuart Melim to unpack why “status currency” is emotional, identity-driven, and far more powerful than traditional points and miles strategies. If you’ve ever felt the sting of losing status or gone out of your way to avoid being treated like a base member, you already understand the behavior this creates.

In the final episode of our Loyalty Series, we sit down with citizenM’s former CCO and CEO and now another star CEO Lennert de Jong to unpack how a boutique hotel brand reinvented loyalty as a product rather than a points program. The result was a paid subscription model, guaranteed room availability, and a bold brand IP sale to Marriott, all of which reshaped citizenM’s growth, distribution strategy, and guest experience without diluting its identity.

Lennert takes us back to the company’s early stance against traditional loyalty models and the forces that pushed a rethink: OTA pressure, the strength of U.S. direct-booking behavior, and the need for scale to protect rate integrity. Out of that emerged mycitizenM+, a simple paid membership that delivers immediate, tangible perks most notably guaranteed rooms when travelers need them most. The psychology mirrors Amazon Prime: when guests pay to join, they default to the brand and return more often. We explore how citizenM measured success through customer lifetime value, switching behavior, and how benefits like coworking access and F&B discounts aligned perfectly with the brand’s living-room-centric design.

Think points are the prize? In travel loyalty, status is the real currency - the fast lane, the lounge, the upgrades, and the ease that comes from knowing you’re looked after. In the second episode of our Loyalty Series, we sit down with Erin Murray, CMO of Loyalty Status Co, to explore why many loyalty programs are now more valuable than the airlines that run them and how the smartest brands use status to shape behavior, lift yield, and keep their highest-value travelers loyal.

We follow Erin’s 25-year career across Air Miles, Points, and now Loyalty Status Co to reveal what truly motivates frequent travelers. You’ll hear how Status Lift reduces the need for painful “status runs” by letting near-qualifiers buy up at exactly the right moment. And how Status Match acquires proven high-value flyers the moment a competitor falters. Just look at Air France: after BA’s program changes, they matched 4,000 elites who went on to book 17,000 flights, many in business class. That’s the playbook: spot the moment, validate the traveler, deliver benefits that matter, and watch the revenue follow.

We’re excited to kick off a new three-part Loyalty Series, where we explore how airlines, hotels, and loyalty status companies are rewriting the rules of traveler engagement. In this first episode, we begin with a refreshingly simple philosophy from KM Malta Airlines: make value clear, make status meaningful, and make the journey smoother. Oliver Piers Ross, Head of Loyalty & CRM, joins us to share how a small flag carrier built a transparent currency, introduced genuinely useful status tiers, and used smart partnerships to influence traveler behavior in all the right ways.