Three months have passed since the previous Jet Airways frequent flyer program Jet Privilege was renamed InterMiles. The loyalty program now enables members to earn points by booking flights on various airlines, booking holidays, and making restaurant reservations. The program has added 4,50,000 new members and tripled. InterMiles general manager and CEO Manish Dureja said the platform has more than 10 million members who are moving from a pure loyalty program to a consumer technology business. He explained: "Previously we were not business participants and we did not enable trade on the platform. Today, people can buy travel products on InterMiles and earn these miles. We have 151 partners," he explained.
When Jet Airways announced the closure of the airline on April 27 last year, not only was the loyal airline mourning its closure, but many were actually more concerned about the mileage points they had accumulated on the airline's frequent flyer program JetPrivilege. JetPrivilege has nearly 10 million members, many of whom are accumulating points for free tickets for the next international holiday. Dureja said he and his team have begun letting members know their flight safety due to the imminent shutdown of the airline. "The situation for Jet is terrible, and it will be clear by mid-2018. We have started to prepare and have some plans in place, so we quickly started to develop these plans. When Jet announced its closure on April 17, we sent out a letter with us All members' communications indicate that their mileage is safe. We told them we promised that it would be a continuous process for us. We must convey the message that we are an independent entity. "
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In 2014, JetPrivilege was divided into a separate entity, with Etihad Airways owning 50.1% and Jet Airways owning 49.9%. Dureja explained: "We have started to create different platforms such as hotels and shopping. Trying to create a broader data-driven customer engagement platform." Under the new architecture, Etihad Airways will continue to hold 50.1% The shares of Jet Airways are guaranteed under the IBC procedure. "But that hasn't affected our business," Durea quickly clarified.
To position itself as a consumer technology platform, the company felt the need to get rid of Jet Airways' umbrella. Therefore, it proposed the new brand identity InterMiles. "Without Jet, the customer value proposition has changed, so the architecture for interacting with members must change, and brands must reflect customers' views," Dureja said.
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So how is InterMiles different from Cleartrip or Makemytrip? Dureja positions InterMiles as a premium product that meets the top 5% of India's population. "We are very different. We do not participate in games that serve the mass market, we focus on our members. If you see the value of discounts and cashback, then this plan may not be for you. InterMiles is committed to providing the experience. If you With a credit or debit card and the ability to spend Rs 15,000-20,000 per month, then you are the one who sees value with us. "
InterMiles will all launch its mobile app, and Dureja said his focus will be on attracting more and more existing members to interact with the app, rather than adding new members. "Our goal is to go deeper," Dureja said. "We are a data-driven interactive platform. We don't chase members."
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