Flybe Joining Avios Travel Rewards Program

Low-cost carrier Flybe is dumping its Rewards4All frequent flyer program for the sake of joining the Avios Travel Rewards program.

As part of British regional carrier Flybe’s ongoing effort to attract more business, the airline announced it will adopt the International Airline Group’s (IAG) Avios frequent flyer currency starting on October 27.

“We join Avios following an extensive review of frequent flyer programs, including our own in-house program Rewards4All,” Flybe CEO Saad Hammad said in the press release issued Friday. “We determined a better customer proposition existed, and the clear choice was Avios. There are 2 million customers with billions of Avios within 30 miles of a Flybe airport.”

According to Flybe’s website, flyers will be able to earn Avios based on their ticket type and price (excluding government charges) starting in late October. The Avios program will replace Flybe’s current Rewards4All program, which is closed to new membership and will be phased out in 2015. Rewards4All members can still collect points into January 2015, with final redemptions allowed through the end of March 2015.

The announcement comes on the heels of new partnerships between Flybe and a number of booking agencies and airlines. Flybe now has arrangements with booking.com and STA Travel, which recently named the low-cost regional carrier as its “Preferred Partner for Student and Youth Travel.” In addition, Flybe also recently unveiled a codeshare agreement with Finnair, as well as an interline agreement with Ireland’s Aer Lingus.

Flybe is the second airline to join IAG’s Avios program in 2014. In May, Italian airline Meridiana converted to Avios through its new frequent flyer program, Meridiana Club.

[Photo: Flybe]