Asiana Airlines and Collinson have embarked on a partnership to significantly enhance and expand how passengers earn points with the airline’s rewards programme.

The new partnership between Asiana Airlines, a five-star-rated airline headquartered in the South Korean capital, Seoul and Collinson, a global leader in customer loyalty and benefits, will shift Asiana Airlines’ existing loyalty programme from a domestic-only rewards programme to one with regional and international reach. It will provide customers in China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US with access to Collinson’s global network of more than 5,000 leading retailers – where they can earn points each time they purchase goods online.  

Commenting on the announcement, the senior VP of alliances & marketing at Asiana Airlines, Kwang-Hyun Kim said: “Covid-19 has meant that our valued guests have been prevented from travelling for over a year – an activity we are all missing. To better support our customers during this challenging time, we’re pleased to offer an enhanced rewards programme that provides even more opportunities for travellers to earn points, simply by shopping with their preferred leading retailers online.”

A seismic shift

Collinson notes that the Covid pandemic has resulted in a seismic shift, forcing almost every kind of business to navigate uncharted territory to survive, while simultaneously re-strategising to remain afloat and capture new opportunities in the future. In this context, earn or redeem rewards platforms support companies to pivot to the changing needs of consumers by diversifying their offering at speed, according to Collinson. In addition, the company points out that since Asia is the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce market, it believes the importance of platforms such as these will only continue to grow as the world adjusts to its new ‘normal’. 

The president of Collinson’s Asia Pacific region, Todd Handcock added: “Earn platforms such as the one we’ve created for Asiana Airlines enable airlines to stay in touch with customers at a time when travel is limited, while providing an additional way to build points and air miles with a range of retailers; these can then be put toward a dream holiday once lockdowns lift. Rewards programmes will continue to be critical to how travel and retail businesses survive this turbulent time and thrive in the future; we’re proud to offer an enhanced way to reward, reassure and reconnect with customers.”

Earlier in March, Singapore Airlines partnered with Collinson on organising pre-departure Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for UK passengers.