The Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer
This edition covers: Air Transat, BWH Hotels, CarParts.com, CLMP™, CruiseHQ, Dubai Access Club, ebbo, FLO, Fortune Wings Club, FTC, Golden Gate Petroleum, Hyatt, Jocko Fuel, LoungePair, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Point.me, QBF Consulting, Retail MediaX, Samsung Wallet, Spur Experiences, TBH Loyalty, Tencent, Versa Hospitality, Visa, WeChat Pay, WorldHotels, X
FROM THE EDITOR
Across the news this week, three items rose to the top:
- BWH Hotels is folding more than 4,000 properties and 18 brands into WorldHotels, uniting roughly 70 million Best Western Rewards and WorldHotels Rewards members under one program with three streamlined tiers.
- Dubai Access Club launched as a new destination loyalty program, rewarding repeat visitors with a five-year multi-entry visa, local perks and spending credit.
- The US Federal Trade Commission formally launched an inquiry into personalized pricing, summoning major airlines, ride sharing companies and others to provide information about their data management practices. For people reading our series on this topic, this comes as no surprise.
◆ There are multiple new program launches to report including Air Transat’s Staria, CarParts+ Rewards, Golden Gate Rewards and FLO’s EV charging program.
◆ Coming up next week is TBH Loyalty Chicago on November 10.
◆ CLMP™ momentum continues, with refreshed on-demand courses and a QBF Consulting workshop in Dubai on November 16–18.
Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor — The Wise Marketer
SHORT TAKES
- [APAC] Versa Hospitality launches loyalty program across global properties
- [China] Samsung brings WeChat Pay support to Wallet in China
- [Global] What to do after you’ve stolen $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency
- [HK] Tencent and Mastercard Sign MOU on Cross-Border Payment Interoperability and Agentic Payments
- [US] CruiseHQ introduces new rewards program for advisors
- [US] Jocko Fuel Launches Protein and Creatine at Target
- [US] Spur Experiences® Launches Spurfect Rewards
BRAND HIGHLIGHTS
Air Transat Unveils Staria: The Joy of Travel Rewarded
Air Transat is launching Staria, a new rewards program designed to give members more ways to make their travel plans happen and enjoy every part of the journey.
Built for occasional and frequent travelers alike, Staria rewards members both when they book and between trips. Members earn points toward their next flight or vacation package and can take part in interactive activities to collect stars that unlock rewards to enhance their experience.
BWH® Hotels Unveils Enterprise Transformation, Uniting Global Portfolio Under WorldHotels™
BWH Hotels has announced a comprehensive transformation that brings more than 4,000 hotels and 18 brands under a single loyalty program and a global masterbrand, WorldHotels.
The move is designed to strengthen portfolio awareness, create greater clarity for travelers and hotel owners, and accelerate growth through a unified platform and enhanced digital capabilities, while delivering a guest experience powered by local expertise.
WorldHotels Rewards: A Unified Loyalty Program for 70 Million Members
WorldHotels Rewards is a new, unified loyalty program that combines Best Western Rewards® and the existing WorldHotels Rewards, bringing together approximately 70 million members. It introduces three streamlined membership tiers while protecting current benefits such as status matching, member rates and points that never expire.
Members retain the value of their existing points, gain additional ways to earn, and get access to a more connected global portfolio and a simplified rewards experience.
Dubai Launches World-First Tourism Membership Program
Dubai Access Club is an invite-only membership program that rewards repeat visitors to the emirate with exclusive experiences, services and benefits, giving tourists even more reasons to return.
Successful applicants receive a five-year multi-entry visa allowing stays of up to 90 days at a time within a one-year period, a free du SIM card, and Dhs 2,000 in credit to spend at a curated selection of the city’s best hotels, attractions and shops.
Hyatt Redesigns Hyatt Leverage to Benefit Small and Midsize Businesses
Hyatt has redesigned Hyatt Leverage, its business travel platform for small and midsize businesses, to help clients manage corporate travel in “one centralized place.” The rebuilt booking tool now runs on Spotnana’s travel platform and offers preferred rates at more than 1,300 Hyatt hotels. Travelers and travel administrators both receive World of Hyatt benefits, with travelers earning points on eligible stays. Companies need at least 50 room nights per year to qualify.
LoungePair Partners with Fortune Wings Club (China)
LoungePair has partnered with Fortune Wings Club to sell airport lounge access to members of the Chinese airline loyalty program. Under the agreement, members can buy lounge access through a dedicated LoungePair link and earn points on each purchase.
Fortune Wings Club is the shared frequent flyer program for Hainan Airlines and a wider group of New HNA Aviation Group carriers, including Beijing Capital Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Lucky Air and Hong Kong Airlines.
CarParts.com Launches CarParts+ Rewards, Its First Points-Based Loyalty Program
CarParts.com, one of the leading U.S. online retailers of automotive parts and accessories, has launched CarParts+ Rewards, the company’s first points-based loyalty program, designed to turn everyday repairs into lasting savings.
The program adds a free entry tier, CarParts+, while the existing paid membership becomes CarParts+ Gold. Members earn points on every dollar spent across more than 1.5 million parts and accessories, including taxes and shipping. Redemption is built into checkout, and points never expire.
Golden Gate Petroleum Launches Golden Gate Rewards
Golden Gate Petroleum, a family-owned business with more than 30 locations across California, Nevada, Colorado and Utah, has launched Golden Gate Rewards, a new loyalty program and mobile app.
The program is built to serve two distinct groups: local customers who stop in for fuel, coffee and fresh food, and professional drivers who rely on Golden Gate truck stops along the region’s major highway corridors.
X Launches New Bonus Program for Video Creators
X’s Video Kickstart Bonus is an invite-only pilot program that pays creators a bonus for posting their own short-form, vertical videos on the platform. Creators who post 15 qualifying videos on 15 different days during a program period earn the bonus for that period.
“The program runs in periods of about one month,” X said. “Each period has an enrollment deadline and a last day to post, and you can find both in your invitation and in Creator Studio.”
FLO Launches New EV Charging Rewards Program for Home and Public Charging
Quebec-based FLO has launched an electric vehicle (EV) charging rewards program, joining a growing number of Canadian programs that pay drivers to charge at home and on the road. The program is available only in Canada, with enrollment open through the FLO app.
Drivers earn 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for eligible charging sessions, whether at home or at participating public FLO stations, with no minimum session required.
McDonald’s Defends Market Share with Digital Loyalty Advantage
The Wall Street Journal reports that the “Burger Wars” haven’t been going McDonald’s way lately. While Restaurant Brands International’s Burger King reported an 8.4% year-over-year increase in comparable sales, some analysts expect McDonald’s to post negative growth on the same measure in its third-quarter results.
Analysts say McDonald’s holds a strong edge over competitors thanks to its digital promotions engine. The company reports 220 million loyalty members active worldwide on a rolling 90-day basis.
NEWS & EVENTS
Visa Research on Gen Z and Agentic Shopping
New Visa research finds that more than half of U.S. Gen Z consumers expect to buy at least one gift from outside the country, while 22% plan to buy gifts through social platforms or creator shops, more than twice the rate of all U.S. adults.
AI is becoming part of the search, too: 73% of U.S. Gen Z would let AI suggest gift ideas, though recipients may never know it. More than two in five say they wouldn’t tell someone AI helped choose their gift.
The World’s Best Airline Rewards Programs 2026
Point.me, an award travel search platform, has released its 2026 World’s Best Airline Rewards Programs rankings after analyzing more than 250 million award fares across 33 global loyalty programs. Air France-KLM Flying Blue took the top spot, followed by United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan. Programs were scored across eight categories, with 60% of the weighting tied to what points are worth: ease of earning, redemption rates and partner opportunities.
FTC Launches Personalized Pricing and Compensation Inquiry
The Federal Trade Commission has ordered nine major airlines, ride-sharing companies and food-delivery firms to provide detailed information that will allow the agency to study how personal data is used to set prices and compensation.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said, “Consumers deserve to know whether companies use their web surfing habits or other personal data to estimate the highest price they can charge each consumer. Workers also deserve to know if their compensation is affected by how companies use their personal data.”
TBH Loyalty Chicago 2026 – A Different Kind of Loyalty Conference
Taking place in Chicago on November 10, 2026, The BIG Handshake Loyalty™ brings together senior professionals working across customer loyalty, CRM, customer engagement and retention for one deliberately intimate day of learning, debate and conversation. The event is organized by the North American Loyalty Association (NALA), a community for brand-side loyalty and CRM teams in the U.S. and Canada, and is built around real operational challenges, open conversation and actionable takeaways.
Retail MediaX Lands in New York on November 12
Retail media is moving fast, and the questions are getting bigger. After two sell-out years in Europe, Retail MediaX makes its U.S. debut in New York on November 12.
The one-day event brings together the people working through those challenges, with speakers from Google, DoorDash, Kroger Precision Marketing, Mars, LVMH, Estée Lauder, Danone and more. Attendance is free for brands, retailers and CPG companies.
LOYALTY ACADEMY ANNOUNCES UPDATED CLMP™ COURSES
The Loyalty Academy has refreshed its CLMP™ courses, with online, in-person and mobile learning options, so you can earn the credential on your own schedule and at your own pace. The on-demand CLMP™ Program delivers 14 rebuilt courses in a mobile-first format, built by practitioners and backed by academic rigor, not borrowed ideas. Ten years in, the industry’s first loyalty certification still sets the standard. Start your learning journey today at loyaltyacademy.org/clmp-on-demand/
CLMP™ TRAINING SPOTLIGHT — DUBAI
New CLMP™ Workshop Announced in Dubai, November 16–18
QBF Consulting, a certified training partner of The Loyalty Academy, is bringing the Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ (CLMP™) workshop to Dubai on November 16–18. The credential program equips practitioners to design and lead customer loyalty strategies across B2C and B2B markets, and the three-day, in-person session delivers the full CLMP™ curriculum.
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