Flybe launches a ‘double Avios’ promo – and learn about their new loyalty strategy

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• Stu R says:

  18 Nov18 November 05:47

  I have flown 11 round trips on Flybe this year and IIRC only one of them has auto-posted the Avios – the rest I’ve had to retro claim despite providing my Avios number at the time of booking. If they sort that, I’ll definitely hang some flags out!

• JJH4YB says:

  18 Nov18 November 05:51

  I have the same problem with FlyBe, having to retrospectively claim the points in the ridiculously difficult time window.

  Admittedly I’ve not tried too hard, but I haven’t been able to find anyone at FlyBe who can explain why this keeps happening and what if anything they are doing about it.

  • Anthony says:

    18 Nov18 November 10:09

    +1 (and hat tip to Rob for the fine use of the word ‘crackpot’ – cheered me right up I can tell you)

• Callum says:

  18 Nov18 November 06:37

  The IT system may mean that’s the only simple way for them to add Avios, I can’t believe it forces them to do this though.

  Surely the only way that can be true is if the only way Flybe can verify who took their flights is in the 30-40 day window. I.e. until a month afterwards they have no idea who flew with them, then ten days after that the data is deleted forever.

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    18 Nov18 November 07:41

    Agreed. I’ve a lot of time for Flybe but whatever corner they have painted themselves into with their IT I can’t imagine there is no other solution. Only perhaps solutions they are unwilling to implement.

    Given their known and notorious inability to credit legitimate miles the article reads like it gives them an easy ride on this point. I hope over the discussion it was pushed back harder.

    Great news that there is a fix on the way however and 3 points per £ (6 per £ in the promo) is worthy of attention. If you ever get them.

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    18 Nov18 November 08:33

    I also strongly suspect that there’s a relatively low number of root causes preventing the points from posting. Assuming that they are retaining the data they need, I would have thought that they could have set up a batch process to identify accounts with missing points and credit them ‘manually’. Not an ideal technical solution compared to fixing the underlying issue(s), but at least makes it right for the customer.

• Martin says:

  18 Nov18 November 07:46

  Oliver, welcome to your new role and i do hope you can make a difference, as a regular loyal customer (over 100 flights per year for the last 4 years) here is what I would like to see;

  Reinstatement of the rear steps to all planes – removed to save fuel costs, however on flight from London City to Exeter you always need to add ballast so there was no need to remove the rear steps, it also takes a lt longer to board/disembark so would speed up time

  The Flbye App to let you check in directly rather than redirect you to the website

  No-one I know who flies witth flybe (there are about 20 regulars who fly to London, Manchester and Jersey) care about the avios points or about loyalty programmes so I would not launch one as it caters for the minority not the majority

  What they care about is the flight sales, you will see there are many people who when the last sale was on (October) booked 6 months worth of flights, therefore i would focus on something like a coffee shop, book 10 flights and get 50% off of your next flight booking, the loyal customers would appreciate that

  Do not make it the responsibility of the customer to phone up and make a claim when the flight is cancelled email them straight away and let them know they are getting compensation, I now use a compensation company as dealing with flybe customer services is too painful

  I have many more suggestions and if you wish please do reach out to me (you will see I fly every week from Exeter to London City)

  • John says:

    18 Nov18 November 09:11

    You are probably right, I think most people fly flybe because they have to rather than because they want to. With BA you can kind of play a game of where can I go (provided you live near London) but I doubt anyone looks as the flybe destinations from their local airport and chooses one randomly on a whim

    • Nick says:

      18 Nov18 November 10:35

      You can if you live (say) somewhere near Southampton. Less so admittedly if you’re in Doncaster.

  • ADS says:

    18 Nov18 November 10:44

    pretty damning that you use a compensation company because FlyBE customer services are so awful !

    have you ever dealt with Iberia ?!

    • Lady London says:

      18 Nov18 November 11:02

      or even British Airways on a bad day in their Indian call centre?

• Mark LLL says:

  18 Nov18 November 07:49

  Yes, the avios from Flybe flights simply do not post.

  Personally, have given up and no longer expect any points from Flybe/Stobart. I do not enjoy chasing up missing points and so they become forfeit.

  I do wish Oliver Ross all the best of luck, and hope it goes well for him and the airline.

  Fifty percent more / three avios per pound is good but when the points are routinely shy about making an appearance, such loyalty as could have been generated may instead perhaps be replaced by an increased distaste for the brand.

• Dan says:

  18 Nov18 November 08:05

  We are flying in a few weeks on ba exec club avios flight with Flybe. Of course, I have lost the link that says luggage is included… Can anyone offer assistance?

• Mikeact says:

  18 Nov18 November 08:11

  And what about the rubbish credit card……assuming the one in my drawer is still valid ?

  • Sabby says:

    18 Nov18 November 08:32

    Any news on the credit card ? Will they continue with it longer term

    • Rob says:

      18 Nov18 November 09:44

      Didn’t seem to be any plans. One option I suggested would be a white label Lloyds card, basically the same as the normal Lloyds Avios Mastercard but with a Flybe logo, Flybe getting paid for sign ups and with a tiny residual based on spend.

      • Julian says:

        18 Nov18 November 11:26

        18 November 2018 at 11:25
        I notice that my Lloyds Avios Rewards Amex card is still working fine and that I have not yet received any letter from Lloyds giving me a termination date for it despite staff on the dedicated product change enquiry line originally telling me it would be axed and replaced by the Mastercard only version of the product in early November.

        So there seems to have been an indefinite stay of execution for at least the paying Lloyds Avios Amex customers for the time being. Perhaps they are discussing alternatives with Amex such as offering us an attractive conversion deal to the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold card instead?

      • Callum says:

        19 Nov19 November 01:48

        I struggle to see why Lloyds would ever agree to do that…

• Yawn says:

  18 Nov18 November 08:38

  Introducing Reward Flight Saver on FlyBE flights would really add value to Avios redemptions.

  • Nick says:

    18 Nov18 November 10:45

    I agree completely with this suggestion. Redemptions on flybe are close to pointless (pardon the pun!) but I would actually be very willing to spend Avios on them if they offered better value through lower charges.

    I also think they should make more of their catchment area. The fact SOU has a station on main lines (to Reading, Waterloo via Woking, as well as the south coast) means that it’s almost as easy for a lot of people who would normally not think twice about flying from Heathrow, yet there’s no promotion or even acceptance that this is the case. Yes the airport is a dive and desperately in need of modernisation, but it is quick, efficient and has a lovely PP lounge.

    • Rob says:

      18 Nov18 November 11:04

      Agree. If heading to the south coast we often get a train to SOU, take the 60 second walk to Hertz and go from there. Easier than driving from London.

    • Lady London says:

      18 Nov18 November 11:07

      I am in London catchment area and could use flybe from SOU relatively easily using train connections. SOU has a reputation for being a nice airport, and efficient, and easy to reach. But every time I’ve looked at flybe the “taxes” as there is no RFS, have meant I’ve looked at cash fares instead, but found better value elsewhere for both miles and cash.

      I don’t travel at peak periods for the flights I’m looking at using flybe for, though. So I do have a number of alternatives.

      If Flybe would do RFS or something similar for very offpeak flights then I’d make a point of trying out SOU on 2 routes with them. A key reason is the lack of “big airport” hassle once I get there.

      • Mikeact says:

        18 Nov18 November 16:49

        One of the issues of SOU is the privilege of paying more for your flight…..still worth going via LGW or LHR IMHO.

      • Shoestring says:

        18 Nov18 November 17:10

        I can get my head around London people *choosing* to be carless on money/ parking grounds.

        As we own 5 cars, I can’t really emphasise, though.

        Don’t you feel that you are left somehow impoverished, as in: you can’t just roll up to the car & go somewhere fun/ new/ interesting?

        Cars = freedom.

      • Shoestring says:

        18 Nov18 November 17:14

        Another proof that Cornwall is better.

  • Cuchlainn says:

    18 Nov18 November 21:32

    Yawn,
    Hear hear from the currently soft Brexit side of the Irish Sea – extensively use Flybe from BHD for EMA and daughter at Uni in Loughborough. If booked early enough on Avios it comes in at 9K Avios and £55-65ish return. Cash price is crazy for such a short hop so RFS needed please.

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