eTARS Frequent Flyer Program

In today's non-stop competition for passengers, airline executives are aware that the more they know about their passengers, the more powerful they become in the marketplace allowing deeper market penetration. Airlines have taken multiple approaches to gather knowledge and to also improving their relationship with their passengers.

One thing is certaint, a strong frequent flyer program is key to promoting a high level of customer loyalty and providing critical information for ongoing marketing analysis.

The eTARS frequent flyer program enables airlines to maintain customer loyalty by offering recognition awards and incentives. It tracks frequent flyer accounts, manages bonuses and promotion.

The following features and functions are provided:

• Frequent flyer point accumulation and usage are automatically tracked and a running balance maintained.
• Advanced customer service features create a high level of customer satisfaction.
• Advanced fraud protection protects the airline and the passenger against misuse of the frequent flyer program.
• Bonuses and promotions are easily tracked and analyzed.

The eTARS frequent flyer program uses earned mileage as a basis for accruing credits and also distributing awards.

The frequent flyer propgram can be shared by airlines that have eTARS installed and are using the eTARS passenger reservation interlining feature. Optional provided interfaces will allow connection to other airlines frequent flyer programs.

eTARS automatically captures the frequent flyer passenger information, maintains the accrued milage for each passenger, allows passenergs, travel agents, corporate customers or internal airline agents to view their frequent flyer account status.

Since passengers need to know their frequent flyer status an on-line application is provided that allows passengers to view their current mileage and also their past usage of the mileage earned. Monthly reports for the passengers can be selected or not used depending on what the airline decides to do.

The Frequent Flyer panel is enhanced to allow the passengers, travel/tour agents and corporate customers to review the rules, see the mileage needed for each flight and a link for them to review their Frequent Flyer accounts.

Setup and tracing for bonus and special award programs is provided.

A new payment method called "mileage" is added to the reservation system so that everyone (Airline Agents, Travel/Tour Agents, Corporate Customers and Passengers) can book flights based on the passenger's or organization's earned mileage.

An optional, configurable, item that allows booking using earned mileage plus other forms of payments to make up the difference. The airline sets the percentage of earned mileage needed before split payment can be accepted.

Since the Frequent Flyer program is part of eTARS the airline can determine how many seats are made available for each flight. The Frequent Flyer seats are defined as "nested" so that if they are needed for normal reservations they are automatically available, if not already booked.

Configuration allows the milage to expire in a defined time frame or to remain in place until it is used.

Milage can be earned by passenger participating in outside events such as:

• Hotels
• Car Rental Companies
• Retail Organization's Cash Sales
• Credit Card Usage
• Packaged Tours/Trips
• Cruise Lines
• Railroads
• Any Travel Related Business

Management Reports:

• Earned mileage
• Used Millage

The reports are configurable and provide detailed or summary reports; by airline, station or passenger; and by time and date range. The reports are exportable to spread sheets by just selecting export as the output option.

Accounting for frequent flyer milage usage applies the defined cost, milage based, to the booked revenue report and to the reports that show earned and un-earned revenue (gross, unearned and earner) in a manner standard with the rest of eTARS accounting. Reports are provided for each of these categories.

Configurability provides the following to allow the airline to configure the frequent flyer program as desired:

• Milage requirements
• Split payment for awards
• Award Levels required
• Logo
• Frequent Flyer program rules
• Presentation, on-line, for the frequent flyer program
• Definition
• Rules
• User interface
• Reservations using accrued milage or accrued millage a plus alternative payment methods
• Classes of passenger service supported by the frequent flyer program

Optionally provided is the ability to automatically print frequent flyer cards on plastic or card board stock.