The partnership between British Airways (BA) and Apple, which allows passengers to spend their Avios points on Apple products, signals a significant evolution for airline frequent flyer programmes, according to commentary from an industry design expert. Christine Bourdon, chief design director at global experience design company Designit, suggests the move indicates that airlines are increasingly focused on providing a more complete customer experience that extends beyond the flight itself.
According to Bourdon, whose firm’s clients include major airports and airlines like Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa, the collaboration shows that passenger loyalty is becoming less about the journey and more about the “whole lifestyle ecosystem.”
From travel add-ons to lifestyle engines
The analysis points to a shift where frequent flyer schemes are moving from being simple travel add-ons to becoming integrated lifestyle platforms. Bourdon argues that by allowing customers to spend loyalty points on everyday technology, airlines are delivering tangible value to them in their daily lives, not just when they are travelling.
“British Airways has placed the passenger experience centre stage through its partnership with Apple, recognising that travel doesn’t start and end on the plane,” commented Bourdon. “Letting customers spend Avios on everyday tech delivers real value, in the places people live, not just the places they fly.”
The future of passenger loyalty
Looking ahead, Bourdon predicts that this trend will lead to more tailored offerings from airlines. This could include the introduction of subscription-based tiers for loyalty programmes, as well as bundled perks that go beyond traditional flight-related benefits.
A key part of this evolution will be deeper integration with a wide range of non-travel brands, including those in the retail, technology, and wellness sectors.
“Frequent flyer programmes are evolving fast, with them becoming lifestyle engines rather than travel add-ons,” Bourdon added. “And that means we are going to see increasingly more tailored offerings. Think subscription-based tiers, bundled perks, deeper integration with retail, tech, and wellness brands.”
