Frequent flier programs are run by airlines to foster passenger loyalty. That's why most programs make you build up miles over time, based on how often you fly. The more you fly and the longer (more expensive) trips you take, the sooner you read the promised reward of free travel.

Unfortunately, the biggest and best known frequent flyer programs are complicated beasts. Their terms and conditions are riddled with caveats and exclusions and when you finally do earn enough rewards to get a free ticket, you discover the "GOTCHA" zinger of "capacity controls" and "blackout dates". Chances are excellent that you won't find a flight going where you want to go when you want to travel. Adding insult to injury, some airlines even sock it to you with the "GOTCHA" zinger of redemption fees!  

Loyalty programs full of conditions, exclusions, controls, blackouts and fees....why do you think it is that most customers don't feel particularly loyal to these kinds of companies?

When you run a smaller airline --- especially a low-cost airline --- you have to be better. Your prices need to be lower, your terms and conditions simpler, and your program much more flexible. When you run a smaller airline, you really NEED passengers to be loyal, so your loyalty program should be better.

And it usually is. In the United States, Southwest is the dominant low-cost leader, and their frequent flyer program tends to be easier to use than its competitors. And now, Mexican low-cost carrier, Interjet, has rolled out its new frequent flier program, called "Club Interjet".

Club Interjet is an innovative program. It's smarter, slicker, far simpler, and generally MUCH better than miles-based or flight-based programs.


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PROS: Things Passengers LIKE About Club Interjet...
I like the straightforward honesty and simplicity of basing the program on money and letting you redeem your credits on any ticket you choose to book, at any time.

* Money, not Miles:  
Club Interjet differs from all other frequent flier program in that it is based on money, not miles or flights, and a passenger's benefits are directly aligned with their contribution to the airline's revenue stream. 10% of your ticket price is credited to your account. That's it!  Use the credited money as a discount on your next ticket, or save it up for a free ticket. It's MONEY --- spend it as you wish!

* Simplicity:
The most common complaint about mainstream frequent flier programs is capacity controls. The airline alots only a small number of seats (much less than demand) for use by frequent flier customers. You may have enough miles for a free ticket to Hawaii, but when the only ticket the airline will give you is one to Muncie Indiana, you won't be feeling all warm and fuzzy towards the airline. Capacity controls are bad PR policy. That's why better frequent flyer programs don't have them.

Club Interjet has *NO* capacity controls. Every seat on every flight is eligible for booking as a Club Interjet award.

Club Interjet has *NO* blackout dates either. If you have enough credit built up in your account to cover the cost of whatever the cheapest available ticket is to Cancun, even on the Christmas holidays, you CAN GET IT!  If the airline would accept your money or credit card, they'll accept your Club Interjet credits too --- after all, that's what being based on money is all about!

* Occasional Passengers Can See Occasional Benefits
One of the problems with mainstream programs is that non-frequent flyers are unlikely to ever realize a benefit from their membership. I suppose that's okay, since it's called a "FREQUENT Flyer" program. But everyone likes seeing something for their time, effort and money. With Club Interjet, the IN-frequent flyer can use their credits for discounted tickets immediately --- no waiting to accrue tens of thousands of miles before you qualify for an award. Fly once, you get a 10% discount on your next flight....fly ten times, you get a FREE ticket.

* Change to an Earlier Flight --- FREE
In years past, if you got to the airport early enough that you could have been put on an earlier flight, you often were. After all, it helps you out but helps out the airline even MORE because they then have better flexibility for accommodating passengers on the next (possibly overbooked) flight. It just plain makes common sense to do that. Club Interjet members can do that, with NO silly GOTCHA fees.


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CONS:  The Disadvantages to Club Interjet...
No frequent flyer program is perfect, and Club Interjet isn't either.

* Membership Fees:
Fees of any kind are counter to the concept of customer loyalty. You don't build good feelings by nickel and diming your best customers. It's Business 101, but lots of airlines get it wrong, earning themselves more bad will than increased revenue. Fees may sometimes be acceptable if customers realize genuine value (as opposed to just charging for nothing, or charging for something that's always been free). Club Interjet charges a $20 annual membership fee. That is the only fee, and it is often paid back on the first flight.

* One-Year Expiration of Credits:
Frequent flyer programs that expire your miles suck. They just do. There is no excuse for this passenger-hostile policy. Remember: these are LOYALTY programs we're talking about!  

Club Interjet expires your credits out from under you if you don't use them within 12 months. They lose 1 star off their rating for this policy alone. It is UNACCEPTABLE. Members paid a membership to EARN those discounts, and the program is supposed to be based on MONEY.  A $5 bill that I tuck under my mattress doesn't suddenly expire on New Years Day --- why should MONEY in an electronic account???

* No Partners, No Alliances:
One of the features I like about mainstream frequent flyer programs is the wide range of earning opportunities on partner airlines, as well as via partner travel services, like mainstream hotel chains and rental car chains. I love the earning potential of my affinity credit card. I also like being able to use frequent flier miles to earn travel on partner airlines. I fly Continental all year for business, then I can cash in my miles for a ticket on Copa, Air France or Air Canada --- I *LIKE* that kind of added range to my list of possible vacation hot spots. Doesn't work that way with Club Interjet....

Club Interjet is completely focused on Interjet. Fly Interjet to earn your credits, which are then used to fly on Interjet. There's no partner airlines that can take you outside the Interjet route map (which by the way, is very extensive within Mexico, but includes only Miami and San Antonio in the United States, as well as Havana Cuba and Guatemala City.


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COMPARISON: Earning Potential of Club Interjet vs. Standard Mile-Based Programs
Interjet is a great choice for people who fly frequently within Mexico --- especially between the major cities, like Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. These are where Interjet is strongest. (I also like that Interjet flies direct into Benito Juarez International (MEX) when most low-cost carriers serve Mexico City via the Toluca Airport (TLC).

So how does 10% credit compare to the miles-based programs of other carriers (including Aeromexico and Mexicana)?

It's pretty easy math: With 10% of each ticket being credited to your account, you should be able to earn an average domestic round-trip ticket after making 10 round trips (20 flight segments).

By comparison, I typically use the Continental OnePass (now United MileagePlus) for my domestic travel. My trips are mileage-based but earn a minimum of 500 miles per flight segment. I can earn a domestic round-trip ticket at 20,000 miles. That's 20 round trips (40 flight segments) if I fly only short trips. However, WolframAlpha shows me that the average passenger on USAirways flies 856 miles. If I flew flights like that on average, it would take me more like 23 flight segments to earn a free ticket.

So, Club Interjet has a simpler model to begin with, and it also tends to let passengers earn faster for pure flying. The partners and affinity relationships that mainstream airlines have could offset the difference, making the overall earning potentials essentially similar.


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BOTTOM LINE:  Join If You Fly More Than Twice Per Year To and Within Mexico
Club Interjet isn't for everyone. With an annual fee, it makes no sense to join unless you KNOW that you will fly with them at least twice per year (once to earn your credit, once to use it before they expire). Because the benefits can be used immediately, it does pay to join even if you fly only occasionally --- as long as "occasionally" means a couple times per year.

I like flying with Interjet. Their planes are clean and new, they have a very extensive route map that covers just about all corners of Mexico, and they have cheap flights from Texas to Mexico City. I couldn't call myself "The World's Cheapest Traveler(tm)" if I didn't scarf on cheap plane tickets when I found 'em, and I just love traveling south of the border for fewer pesos. Club Interjet just makes an already low-cost airfare downright CHEAP!

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