New research from Phocuswright confirms what many agents have suspected for a while. Travellers are becoming more and more loyal to value. And they’re getting creative about how they find it.
Here’s what’s worth knowing this week.
TL;DR
- 84% of leisure travellers have “gamed” a loyalty scheme in the past 12 months
- 1 in 5 airline loyalty users took a flight they didn’t need, purely to keep their status
- 1 in 4 hotel loyalty members stayed somewhere they wouldn’t have chosen, for the same reason
- 52% of travellers used a loyalty redemption to pay for part of a trip last year
- 57-68% of travellers with a “go-to” brand still booked outside that brand in the past year
What “Loyalty Gaming” Looks Like in Practice
Phocuswright’s report, Getting With the Program, paints a detailed picture. Travellers aren’t passively collecting points. They’re actively working the system.
39% charged gift cards to their credit card so they could earn points and use the gift card themselves. 27% opened a new credit card specifically for the welcome bonus, with plans to reduce spending or close the account afterwards. And 16% made purchases on behalf of someone else to accumulate rewards faster.
These aren’t edge cases. These are mainstream behaviours. And they tell us something important about how clients think about value. They’re resourceful. They’re strategic. And they’re often doing all of this alone, without anyone helping them make sense of it.
Within JLT, we see this reflected in how our 400+ agents approach client conversations. The agents who ask about points and programmes early on tend to build stronger relationships, because they’re showing clients they care about the full picture, not one booking.
The Booking Angle
- Clients gaming loyalty programmes are already thinking about value. They’re primed for a conversation about how to make their points work harder.
- Many travellers are collecting across airlines, hotels, and credit cards without a clear plan. An agent who can map that out adds immediate value.
- This is especially relevant for frequent flyers, families stretching budgets, and travellers with multiple upcoming trips.
Try this: In your next discovery call, ask: “Do you collect any loyalty points or airline miles? Most people have more than they think, and I can help you use them well.”
How Brand Loyalty Is Evolving
Here’s a number that says a lot about how traveller behaviour is changing: even among those who named a “go-to” brand, 57-68% still booked outside that brand in the past 12 months. That includes people who described their own brand usage as “highly consistent” and those who’d reached top-tier status.
The reasons? A better fit for a particular destination. A price point that worked. Or sometimes, a desire for something new. Phocuswright’s research found that roughly half of Gen Z and Millennial travellers say variety matters more to them than sticking with a single company.
This matters for agents because it means clients are open to being guided toward the right supplier for the right trip. They value someone who understands the full landscape and can match them with the best fit, whether that’s their usual brand or something they haven’t tried before.
For Your Client Conversations
- Clients are naturally flexible. They’re open to being matched with the right supplier for each trip.
- Positioning yourself as someone who works across the full supplier landscape (“I have access to 200+ suppliers, so I find the best fit for you”) builds trust.
- Younger clients in particular value variety and personalisation alongside loyalty.
Try this: When a client mentions a preferred airline or hotel chain, follow up with: “I can work with that and also show you options you might not have considered. Sometimes the best fit depends on the trip.”
Points Are Becoming a Budget Tool, Not a Perk
There’s a deeper signal in this data. 52% of travellers used a loyalty redemption to pay for at least one part of their trip last year. Millennials leaned heavily on credit card perks. Boomers cashed in airline miles and hotel points.
As household budgets tighten and the cost of living stays front of mind, points and miles have moved from occasional bonus to essential part of the holiday budget. Phocuswright’s analysts noted that travellers are getting more creative with manipulating points and miles to afford their leisure travel.
This is a booking conversation waiting to happen. If a client has points sitting unused, or is collecting without a strategy, there’s an opportunity to unlock real savings and build a trip around what they’ve already earned.
Quick Context
- The global travel industry generated $11.7 trillion in GDP contribution last year, with global bookings up 6% to $1.7 trillion
- Interest in travel remains strong even as budgets feel pressure
- Travellers who feel they’re getting genuine value are more likely to rebook, and to rebook through the person who helped them find it
Try this: Create a short social post or email that says: “Got loyalty points collecting dust? Let’s turn them into your next holiday. Message me and I’ll help you figure out what you’ve got.”
The Agent Advantage: Connecting the Dots Across Programmes
Travellers receive communications from multiple airlines, hotel groups, and platforms. With so many options on the table, having someone to help navigate it all becomes more valuable than ever.
An agent works across the full supplier landscape. You can see what’s available from every programme, match the client to the right experience with the right supplier, and help them use their points, status, and preferences in a way that serves them.
Phocuswright’s lead researcher put it clearly: loyalty is not the product of an interaction with a programme. It’s the result of every interaction a traveller has with a brand. Value, reliability, pricing fairness, and ease come first. Points and perks reinforce what’s already working.
For agents within JLT, this is your positioning. You connect the dots across programmes and suppliers. With access to 200+ partners and the systems to compare across them, that’s a service no single loyalty app can replicate.
The Practical Bit
- 1 in 3 US travellers has already used generative AI for trip planning. But AI can’t navigate a loyalty programme across three airlines and two hotel groups with a family of four.
- The personal, strategic side of travel planning is where agents bring the most to the table. And it’s where loyalty-savvy clients need the most help.
Questions Agents Are Asking
“Should I bring up loyalty points in every conversation?”
Not every conversation. But it’s a strong opener for clients who travel frequently or who mention budgets. It shows you’re thinking about the full picture, not one booking.
“What if I don’t know the ins and outs of every loyalty programme?”
You don’t need to. Knowing enough to ask the question, and then researching the specifics, is more than most travellers get from anyone else. The value is in being the person who cares enough to ask.
“Does this affect how I position my service?”
It can. Framing your role as “I help you get more from your travel budget, including your points” adds a layer of practical usefulness that feels helpful and approachable.
Agent Advantage Insight
The 84% stat is a conversation starter. It tells your clients: you’re not alone in working the system, and there’s someone who can help you do it better. Within JLT, that someone is an agent who works across every supplier and programme to find the right match for every trip.
