AVGEEK
The business behind airline status
Mark Ross-Smith explains loyalty through recognition, customer data and revenue.
The conversation
This episode features Mark Ross-Smith, the CEO of Loyalty Status Co - StatusMatch. We discussed the nitty-gritty of the airline loyalty and status matching industry.
* How did he get to lead Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich FFP? * The story behind starting Status Match * The status of Indian airline loyalty market * How has loyalty and status matching evolved into a multi-billion dollar ancillary revenue industry for airlines? * Global insights and trends in the industry that Indian carriers can adopt * Size of Indian business, which airline is seeing maximum traction? * How come StatusMatch hasn’t onboarded Air India Maharaja Club yet? * Most successful airline partner? * How can airlines increase their ancillary revenue? * If a large number of flyers get status easily, what would that mean for the airline and industry?
Mark - @drdoot
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
Key Takeaways
- Status matching is discussed as a commercial tool that links elite recognition with airline ancillary revenue.
- Mark draws on his Malaysia Airlines Enrich experience and the creation of StatusMatch to explain the loyalty business.
- The conversation asks whether easy access to status could change the value of elite recognition.
- Indian airline loyalty is considered through partner opportunities and the differences between carriers.