Three-quarters of consumers claim the COVID-19 crisis has not impacted their loyalty to travel brands, according to new research.
The report from ValuePenguin found that 14% of travelers had become more loyal to their favorite brands and just 11% claimed the opposite.
One in four consumers in the U.S. now belong to a travel-related rewards program, with 78% of business travelers being members of a package, compared to 63% of leisure trippers.
A quarter of consumers are members of an airline and a hotel program, with just 10% belonging to a car rental brand-fronted scheme.
Unsurprisingly, almost three out of four travelers that belong to a program do so in order to earn rewards, with 50% looking for access to special discounts and sales, and a third for the member-only amenities.
Sophia Mendel of ValuePenguin says: "During the pandemic, many travel loyalty programs made changes to adapt to the global situation and encourage travelers to maintain their membership.
"These changes included extending points expiration and waiving annual fees and flight change fees. "Now that travel is back on the table, people are glad they’ve still got points and miles to burn with their preferred airline and hotel loyalty programs."
The survey found that travelers are seeking more from their respective programs, despite the loyalty that they have to specific packages.
Almost half (44%) want more rewards issued per dollar spent, for example, with 41% requesting more upgrades for services.
Some 40% feel that their programs should feature more exclusive rates and offers. And 37% want more opportunities to redeem rewards that they've earned.