The alliance between Woolworths Everyday Rewards credit card and Qantas, live since June, has encouraged a shift in loyalty toward Australia’s national airline, according to the numbers now available.

Of the 4.2 million Woolworths Everyday Rewards cards active, 1.7 million of them have been linked to the Qantas frequent flyer program, 700,000 new members have joined the airline’s loyalty program through their Woolies account, and 200,000 flights have already been taken.

A Qantas frequent flyer program representative expects 7 million members or more by the middle of next year, making it a close rival to the most popular loyalty program in Australia, FlyBuys, with 8.5 million members. It’s not certain how many of those members are active within the program.

The two most commonly redeemed items from the Qantas rewards scheme are flights and Woolworths gift cards, although there are 1,200 different items available.

There are also indications that all these new Everyday Rewards cardholders are changing their shopping patterns to build up their points totals. More of them are purchasing Qantas flights, or shopping at the program’s linked “buddy” stores, or shopping with another credit card linked to the Qantas loyalty scheme, all of which earn additional points through the system.

With the success of this venture now proven, Qantas is seeking other ways to attract loyalty customers. One such plan is a widget for the iGoogle personalised home page, used by 1.5 million people, where Qantas customers can check their balances. That widget should be available next autumn.

Source: theage.com.au