easyJet's new loyalty programme: what we know, and what we're guessing
- Sam
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Having been strongly rumoured for a while, easyJet have finally publicly announced that they are going to be launching their own loyalty programme in 2027. I say publicly, I don't know how many of you read financial results, because that's where they put it.
This programme is not designed to replace easyJet Plus (which so many of you signed up to as your BA Club membership expired), but instead this new programme will complement it.
Here is easyJet's full statement:
Our sustained focus on operational delivery and customer experience has further strengthened and diversified the easyJet brand. We continue to benefit from a loyal customer base, with 71% of bookings coming from returning customers, including a growing number of easyJet Plus subscription members.
To complement this, we will be launching a new loyalty programme in FY27. We will host a seminar on the new rewards proposition early next year, which will leverage the strength of our brand and further enhance our differentiated customer offering.
What you may be able to garner from that is that we know nothing about the details of how this programme will work.
But if the new programme is designed to complement easyJet Plus, what's actually left for it to do?
easyJet Plus already gives you priority boarding, premium seat selection, fast track security, dedicated bag drop and a guaranteed large cabin bag. That's most of a Gold tier feature list. The only things missing are lounge access and earning.
Could this be a points programme with no tiers? You fly, you earn, you redeem. No Bronze, Silver, Gold ladder, because the perks people associate with status tiers are already sold separately as a £249 subscription, because if its designed to complement, then easyJet can't give Silver members free seat selection and also charge Plus members for it. The frequent flyer and Plus member are the same person, so the two products would eat each other.
Perhaps there are tiers, just with different benefits, such as a higher earn rate depending on your tier, included Flex Pass on your ticket, or perhaps lounge access?
easyJet doesn't run them and probably never will, as building and staffing them isn't a low-cost airline's game. The lazy option is a partnership with No1 or Plaza Premium. It would tick the box. It would also be deeply boring, and not very easyJet.
The more interesting move is what United and American have started doing in the US, with "grab-and-go lounges". These aren't lounges per se, they're more like your local coffee shop. You scan in with your loyalty card, there are a series of fridges with cold drinks, sandwiches, and a barista behind a coffee bar. The branding opportunity of a bright orange coffee cup to signify to others that you're a "loyal member" sounds to me like a very easyJet concept. Plus, it fits the way their customers actually travel, ie short trips, hand luggage, straight to the gate. And it gives the new programme a loyalty perk that differentiates it from the competition across Europe.
The bigger problem easyJet has to solve is aspiration. A huge reason you and I collect points is the dream of travelling in premium cabins across the world. Last time I checked, easyJet doesn't have a first class cabin going to Bali. If easyJet do going down the points route, they'll either have to offer exceptional value against their own flights, or easyJet could partner with another airline to give you something to redeem on. Emirates already lets you spend Skywards miles on easyJet flights, could the new programme run it the other way? Earn on easyJet, redeem on Emirates? Probably not with the way Emirates is changing it's programme (more on that in the coming days), but just replace Emirates with another airline, and you get my point.
Lastly, for the programme to truly succeed it will need some form of card integration from day one. Could this be in the form of a debit card like United, Hilton, IHG, and Marriott? Or perhaps a simple conversion from American Express Membership Rewards?
Could I be wrong on all of this? Absolutely, I'm just speculating.
I'm sure the people at easyJet already know this, but it's a shame that the programme couldn't have been fully set up in time for BA's remaking of the Club Tiers, as I don't think an opportunity like that will ever come round again to poach customers. Even I think BA have run out of own feet to shoot.
We'll find out what easyJet has planned in early 2027. Until then, I'm taking bets on the name. My money's on one of:
easyPoints
easyLoyalty
easyDoesIt
easyNotBAClub
I'll let you decide which one.
Sam
Points Well Made is a passion project from Sam and Helena. If you've enjoyed this and want to help us keep the lights on, please consider buying us a Ko-fi or subscribing monthly. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for more of the same. Thanks for reading.
