Avanti West Coast's loyalty scheme has achieved tremendous success with over a quarter of a million members joining it in the 18 months since it started.
Members joining the loyalty scheme, called “Club Avanti”, can receive 10 per cent off a journey, a free welcome hot drink, and 10% off items at the Onboard Shop, excluding meal deals.
Since it started it has 275,000 customers have taken up membership, with them also over 8,300 free journeys on Avanti West Coast services. More than 6,000 plus have also saved 10 per cent on a journey with Avanti West Coast.
Once members have made nine journeys within 12 months from their date of joining, they are elevated to Gold status which, in addition to the discounted food and drink, qualifies them for one free Standard Premium return journey.
After making 21 journeys, they are upgraded to Platinum membership which qualifies them for a free First Class return ticket. So far, over 9,000 Club Avanti members have achieved Platinum status.
Members earn one Qualifying Journey for every Avanti West Coast ticket between two Avanti West Coast calling points that they purchase using the Avanti West Coast website or app.
Customers need to sign up for membership before they travel and make a journey greater than 75 miles, with a return journey counting as two trips.
Other advantages for Club Avanti members include arranging for priority ticket alerts and opting in for priority boarding notifications when travelling from London Euston.
Mark Murphy, Head of Loyalty at Avanti West Coast said: “We've been overwhelmed by the response to Club Avanti and the growth in membership shows no sign of slowing down.
“Members really appreciate the discounts and the chance to earn free tickets. It is our way of saving ‘thank you' and we have plans for building in additional benefits moving forward.”
Having spent thousands of pounds travelling to and from London every week and I’m “rewarded” for platinum membership with one free ticket then the return journey at 8:33PM from Euston is cancelled (which it frequently is) … how gracious. How about less token gesture single tickets when you go up a members and more persistent monthly rewards. Discounts on food and drink is nothing – 99% of people don’t want food/drink
I would not join such an (Avanti) scheme.Loyalty and Avanti are two alien concepts.My wife and I tried to book tickets, on the day of travel, at Avavant’s Lancaster Railway station booking office.We didn’t buy in advance, as reason for journey was in doubt until actual morning of day of travel.We knew what, single leg journey tickets we wanted , price and availability.The female booking clerk said she hadn’t the time to look for us and only offered full price Anytime returns, which would cost us loads more.We managed to tickets we wanted from platform machine but nearly missed train as it took so long.Remember when, last September, they dumped loads of passengers at Preston,with no onward buses.Loyalty….don’t make me laugh!!!
Hmm. My bonus first class journey was two hours late, and first was declassified, with no food. These things happen but Club Avanti wouldn’t give me a replacement voucher and instead kept repeating that I wasn’t entitled to a refund- which I hadn’t asked for.
I would be happy if they just stopped cancelling trains and making me late for work on a regular basis…. 3 times in 2 weeks now