Oxford’s 2020 word of the year was unprecedented. But that shouldn’t surprise any of us who have ridden along for all the twists and turns throughout the crazy year we’ve called 2020. In a time where it seems we’re all desperately searching for answers, our very own Marc Mazzone — GM of Cartera — is here to shed light.
Some may believe that a year of limited travel means forgetting all about their associated loyalty programs — but not so fast. According to Marc, airlines are always looking for ways to continue to engage with their consumers, particularly during a time when travel bookings are low. Shoppers can still earn rewards when shopping for all the essentials and continue to earn miles or points for future travel.
But what happens when miles or points expire? You’re in luck. Many airlines are moving towards a “no expiration” model — leaving a huge benefit for keeping the account open. What’s more is that these everyday earn programs don’t cost you any money and can be stacked with additional loyalty benefits, i.e. credit card rewards.
And although it may seem like shopping has become less of a focus, we’ve seen that consumer behavior has simply shifted since the start of the pandemic. Categories like health and beauty, business and office, and sports and outdoors have all seen six-figure growth (~40% YOY), whereas luxury items and department stores…not so much.
So…what does all of this mean for the future? We anticipate that travel will start to turn around summer 2021 with a meaningful recovery by the fall. Until then, there are still plenty of opportunities to earn rewards toward all of your future travel plans. Feel free to visit our Shop with Us page to start earning rewards today. Happy shopping!
Cartera is a leading provider of loyalty program solutions, helping companies increase their customer value by rewarding purchases with miles, points or cash back. Cartera works with many of the major airlines and banks, including Delta, Alaska Airlines, Barclays, Southwest, United Airlines, American Airlines and others. Since its founding in 2005, Cartera has helped Fortune 500 businesses deliver over 29 billion points, miles and cash back rewards to their customers. By combining loyalty expertise with leading technologies, Cartera’s shopping solutions are focused on delivering the best offers from thousands of stores with unsurpassed rewards to their partner’s members.