September 3, 2008

Testing Consumer Patience - Airline Executives Predict More Fees
69% of airline executives in a worldwide survey say charging fees for services - - instead of including benefits in the price of a ticket - - will become more prevalent.

August 18, 2008

Frequent Flier Credit Cards Generate More Than $4 Billion for Major U.S. Airlines
Card issuers, such as American Express, Bank of America, Citi, Chase, and US Bank, are attracted by annual charge volumes estimated to be in excess of $337 billion.

July 24, 2008

IdeaWorks Helps Airlines Find a Bottom Line Boost With Ancillary Revenue
The US-based consulting firm is a global leader in the ancillary revenue movement with its
147-page guide, industry reports, speaking engagements, and new consulting services.

July 14, 2008

American Airlines Borrows Ryanair Fee Tactics - - Consumers Should Expect More To Come
American’s recent implementation of checked baggage fees, which appear to have been accepted by passengers, will likely generate annual revenue in excess of $458 million.

May 29, 2008

Believe It Or Not - Frequent Flier Seats are Truly Available -
New Research by IdeaWorks
Even during the peak travel season of summer, reward seats for a family of 4 were available in top markets more than 46% of the time.

February 19, 2008

How Ryanair Achieves Ancillary Revenue Zen in a World Where Airline Profits Might Become Zero
IdeaWorks offers an excerpt from its recently released 147-page Ancillary Revenue Guide.

December 18, 2007

Airlines All Over the Globe Seek Ancillary Revenue Nirvana- A Guide to this
$2.45 Billion Business
132-page manual is filled with lessons from a la carte pricing leaders Ryanair, Air Canada, SkyEurope, Delta, Jetstar, and Spirit Airlines.

August 27, 2007

Buckle Your Seat Belts - Airline Executives Predict More Fees and Plan to Sell More Services via Their Web Sites
63% of airline executives in a worldwide survey say charging fees for services - - instead of including benefits in the price of a ticket - - will become more prevalent.

July 30, 2007

The Great Branding Debate: Is airline branding a waste of money and do airlines really care?
91% of airline executives in a worldwide survey say the power of an airline’s brand can attract more customers, but 56% admit funding for branding initiatives is a problem.

July 25, 2007

IdeaWorks Reports: Rating Budget Hotel Credit Cards, and Comparing AirTran and Midwest on Reward Payback
IdeaWorks rates the Choices Privileges Visa card as offering the largest payback, and AirTran A+ Rewards as the fastest way to a free reward ticket.

April 4, 2007

New York - Los Angeles is the Top Market for Frequent Flier Reward Travel in the United States
IdeaWorks releases report listing the top 15 market choices for standard frequent flier rewards on the mainland routes of U.S. airlines.

February 28, 2007

Stormy Weather: Frequent Flier Executives Are Concerned About Reward Availability and Other Consumer Issues
In a recent survey of frequent flier program management, 66% recognize seat availability is “too limited” at the lowest reward level.

December 13, 2006

Allegiant Air Declares its Ancillary Revenue Manifesto
Allegiant Air’s recent stock prospectus reveals it is changing the business model for US low cost carriers.

October 10, 2006

Europe’s Top 4 Low Cost Carriers Generated 470 Million Euros (US$593 Million) From Non-Ticket Sources in 2005
But U.S. frequent flier programs produced revenues estimated at 2.5 billion Euros
(more than US$3 billion) and better per passenger results.

July 20, 2006

Eight Low Cost Airlines Launch New Frequent Flier Programs All Over the Globe
Free travel benefits are now offered by eight new entrant airlines: Eos Airlines, Germanwings, go!, Kingfisher Airlines, MAXjet Airways, Spirit Airlines, Virgin Blue Airlines, and Virgin Express.

May 22, 2006

Frequent Fliers Reach New Heights with More Than 15 Million Reward Trips
During 2005
Storm clouds may have cleared a little with reward redemptions becoming more prevalent, but liability for unused miles also increases a record $3.8 billion.

May 11, 2006

The Value of a Frequent Flier Mile Jumps in 2005 But Reward Availability Remains a Consumer Complaint
By some measures, the value of a frequent flier mile seems to be increasing, and yet other measures suggest a troubled mileage marketplace. United Airlines introduces a new loyalty currency that bypasses the need to rely upon traditional reward availability.

May 8, 2006

IdeaWorks Participates in Global Conference for Low Cost Airlines and Adds to Client Base
IdeaWorks president Jay Sorensen will participate as a speaker at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress Americas 2006 to be held June 26-28 in Miami, Florida.

January 19, 2006

IdeaWorks Issues Report on Innovative Reward Alternatives for the World’s Largest Airlines
Airline frequent flier programs begin to open their wallets and spend cash on new alternative reward choices that go beyond air travel.

October 24, 2005

IdeaWorks Issues Report on Frequent Guest Partnerships for the Top 15 US-Based Hotel Brands
InterContinental Hotel Group’s Priority Club program eclipses Delta, Lufthansa and United with its network of 190 partner relationships.

August 22, 2005

IdeaWorks Issues Report on Frequent Flier Partnerships for the World’s Top 20 Low Fare Carriers
Condor, Jetstar, Song and Ted enjoy significant partner advantages from the frequent flier programs operated by their major airline affiliates.

July 15, 2005

IdeaWorks Adds Consulting Resource and Grows Client Base
Director of Revenue Management for Midwest Airlines joins consulting team.

July 13, 2005

IdeaWorks Participates in Global Conference for Low Cost Airlines
IdeaWorks president Jay Sorensen will participate as a speaker at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress 2005 to be held September 14-16, 2005 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

May 18, 2005

United Airlines Shutdown Could Also Ground its Mileage Plus Frequent Flier Program
United Loyalty Services, operator of Mileage Plus, generated revenues of $822 million during 2004.

April 25, 2005

Frequent Flier Reward Liability Among the Top 14 U.S. Airlines Increased to $3.87 Billion During 2004
Liability for unused reward travel jumps 10.8% ahead of 2003.

April 20, 2005

Frequent Flier Rewards Among the Top 14 U.S. Airlines Dropped to 14.7 Million Tickets During 2004
Reward travel became a smaller component of overall passenger activity on nine of the largest U.S. airlines.

April 5, 2004

Frequent Flier Benefits Now Offered by 8 Top European LCCs: Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, Air Europa, Condor, flybe, Hapag-Lloyd, LTU and Monarch
Among the more than 55 low cost carriers analyzed, only 12 provide frequent flier programs.

February 16, 2005

Frequent Flier Mileage Values for Major Airlines such as American, Continental, Delta and United Have Dropped 33% Since 1994
Airlines would be required to drop their standard 25,000 mile reward level to 17,000 miles to recover the mileage value offered in 1994.

December 27, 2004

Ryanair, jetBlue, Air New Zealand, Virgin Blue, American and United Launch Innovative Marketing Programs during 2004
Airlines opt for innovative solutions to attract more customers, gain market share and boost revenues rather than rely only on cost cutting and fare discounting.

December 3, 2004

Points and Powder: Frequent-Skier Programs Are Far More Generous Than Airline Industry Counterparts
Free skiing benefits are offered by Vail Resorts Management Company, American Skiing Company and at Squaw Valley and Northstar-at-Tahoe.

September 21, 2004

Frequent Fliers May Experience Turbulence During Bankruptcy
United Airlines and US Airways award travel liabilities may create the setting for a perfect storm that leaves millions of travelers stranded.

September 8, 2004

Six Hotel Loyalty Programs Now Offer No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards
Co-branded card offers from major hotel chains offer points that can be exchanged for free room nights and even airline miles.

August 25, 2004

Five U.S. Airlines Now Offer No-Annual-Fee Mileage Credit Card
The ever-competitive airline industry is finally acknowledging the pressures of the credit card marketplace with American, Delta and United now offering no-annual-fee cards to meet the growing demands of fee-adverse consumers.

April 9, 2004

Robert Bahlman to Join IdeaWorks as Managing Director and Consultant
Current CFO for Midwest Airlines will lead new Financial Consulting Practice as of May 1, 2004.

March 1, 2004

IdeaWorks adds Editorial and Creative Consulting Services
Eric Lucas and Melinda Caughill join the IdeaWorks Company effective March 8, 2004.

October 28, 2003

IdeaWorks Announces Client Relationships in Travel and Consumer Products Sectors
Alterra Coffee Roasters, DB Air, Ltd., Europe Express and Go-Today.com are clients.

September 3, 2008

Testing Consumer Patience - Airline Executives Predict More Fees
IdeaWorks, in cooperation with Terrapinn’s upcoming World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London (www.LowCostAirlinesWorld.com), has conducted its second annual survey of airline executives on the topic of ancillary revenue and a la carte pricing.

August 18, 2008

July 14, 2008

American Airlines Borrows Ryanair Fee Tactics - An Ancillary Revenue Report from IdeaWorks
American’s recent implementation of checked baggage fees, which appear to have been accepted by passengers, will likely generate annual revenue in excess of $458 million.

February 19, 2008

Ryanair - The Godfather of Ancillary Revenue
Michael O’Leary may crystallized the concept of ancillary revenue back in 2001 when he sought to replace ticket revenue with commissions from retail activities.

August 27, 2007

Buckle Your Seat Belts - Airline Executives Predict More Fees and Plan to Sell More Services via Their Web Sites
63% of airline executives in a worldwide survey say charging fees for services - - instead of including benefits in the price of a ticket - - will become more prevalent.

July 31, 2007

The Great Branding Debate: Is airline branding a waste of money and do airlines really care?
Have low cost carriers, along with the rest of the airline industry, tossed the idea of brand building onto the scrapheap of history? Or, has the concept of branding evolved with the growth of the low cost carrier sector? To answer these questions, IdeaWorks, in cooperation with airline conference organizer Terrapinn, recently distributed a survey on the topic of branding to airline executives all over the globe. The survey was distributed online and attracted participation by over 140 airline managers.

July 25, 2007

Choice Privileges Visa Card from Choice Hotels Offers the Largest Payback Among Leading Budget Hotel Companies
TripRewards MasterCard offers a good alternative with more hotel locations and no advance reservation restriction for hotel reward nights.

July 25, 2007

AirTran A+ Rewards Members Earn Free Tickets More Quickly than Members of the Midwest Miles Frequent Flier Program
But Midwest Miles elite members enjoy greater benefits than elite flyers at AirTran.

April 4, 2007

Frequent Fliers Rank New York - Los Angeles as the Top Market for Reward Travel in the United States
IdeaWorks releases report listing the top 15 market choices for standard frequent flier rewards on the mainland routes of U.S. airlines.

February 28, 2007

Stormy Weather: Frequent Flier Executives Are Concerned About Reward Availability and Other Consumer Issues
In a recent survey of frequent flier program management, 66% recognize seat availability is “too limited” at the lowest reward level.

December 13, 2006

Viva Las Vegas and the King of Ancillary Revenues
Allegiant Air’s recent stock prospectus reveals it is changing the business model for US low cost carriers.

October 10, 2006

Europe’s Top 4 Low Cost Carriers Generated 470 Million Euros (US$593 Million) From Non-Ticket Sources in 2005
But U.S. frequent flier programs produced revenues estimated at 2.5 billion Euros
(more than US$3 billion) and better per passenger results.

July 20, 2006

Low Cost Airlines Launch a New Batch of Frequent Flier Programs All Over the Globe
Free travel benefits are now offered by eight new entrant airlines: Eos Airlines, Germanwings, go!, Kingfisher Airlines, MAXjet Airways, Spirit Airlines, Virgin Blue Airlines, and Virgin Express.

May 22, 2006

Frequent Fliers Reach New Heights with More Than 15 Million Reward Trips
During 2005
Balance sheet liability for unused miles also increases for the top frequent flier programs to a record $3.8 billion.

May 11, 2006

Frequent Flier Miles Gain Value But Redemption Remains a Consumer Complaint
Mileage Value Index for jumps in 2005, reward issues continue to plague consumers and United Airlines offers an alternative to credit card miles.

January 19, 2006

The IdeaWorks Report on Innovative Reward Alternatives for the World’s Largest Airlines
Airlines in Asia, Europe and the United States offer hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages and merchandise as alternatives to air travel rewards.

October 24, 2005

The IdeaWorks Report on Partnerships for the Top 15 U.S. Frequent Guest Programs
Marriott Rewards and InterContinental’s Priority Club compare favorably to major frequent flier programs such as United Mileage Plus and Delta SkyMiles for total partner opportunities.

August 22, 2005

The IdeaWorks Report on Frequent Flier Partnerships for the World’s Top 20 Low Fare Carriers
This report describes activities in the following partner categories: airline alliances, hotels, rent-a-car, personal finance, communications, retailers and credit cards.

May 18, 2005

United Airlines Shutdown Would Impact 45 Million Mileage Plus Members and 145 Partner Brands - Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
Potential strike by employee groups would affect United’s frequent flier program, which now generates 5% of annual operating revenues for the airline.

April 25, 2005

U.S. Airline Frequent Flier Reward Liability Grew More Than $378 Million in 2004 - Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
Comparison of U.S. based carriers reveals total liability now exceeds $3.8 billion, representing a 10.8% increase over 2003.

April 20, 2005

Frequent Fliers Had Their Wings Clipped During 2004 With 314,000 Fewer Reward Tickets - Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
Analysis of top U.S. airlines reveals frequent flier reward travel dropped during a period of increased capacity and record breaking load factors.

April 5, 2005

European Travelers Get the Point: Low Cost Carriers Add Frequent Flier Benefits - Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
Among Europe’s top 25 low cost carriers, Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, Air Europa, Condor, flybe, Hapag-Lloyd, LTU and Monarch offer frequent flier programs.

February 16, 2005

The Fall of Frequent Flier Mileage Values in the U.S. Market - Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
Mileage buying power is weakest for the programs offered by American, Continental, Delta and United.

December 27, 2004

Troubled Airline Industry Returns to Innovative Marketing Programs during 2004
Airlines embrace innovation by adding programs to attract more customers, gain market share and boost revenues.

December 3, 2004

Powder and Points – Loyalty Programs Hit the Ski Hills Industry Analysis from IdeaWorks
The ski industry embraces airline-style frequent customer programs at 11 of the 20 largest U.S. ski areas.

September 21, 2004

Airline Bankruptcy: Its Impact on Frequent Fliers, Award Tickets and Mileage
The report reviews the filings of United Airlines and US Airways to illustrate how bankruptcy affects frequent flier program members.

September 8, 2004

Hotel Loyalty Programs and No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards
Co-branded card offers from major hotel chains offer points that can be exchanged for free room nights and even airline miles.

August 25, 2004

No-Annual Fee Credit Cards in the Airline Industry
Co-branded card offers from American, Delta and United are not easily found and are not promoted alongside their fee-based credit cards.

July 29, 2004

Hotel Loyalty Programs Deliver Awards With Fewer Strings Attached
Programs offered by the 15 largest U.S-based hotel chains compare quite favorably to the frequent flyer programs of major U.S. airlines. In fact, they are overall easier to use than airline reward programs.

May 26, 2004

Delta SkyMiles Judged Best Frequent Traveler Program For Shuttle Passengers in the Northeast Corridor
IdeaWorks compares the frequent traveler programs available to Delta Shuttle, US Airways Shuttle and Amtrak Acela passengers.

April 5, 2004

Frequent Flyer Award Liabilities Estimated to Exceed $3.2 Billion for U.S. Airlines
Comparison of U.S.-based carriers also reveals more than 21% of frequent flyer miles are not expected to be redeemed by travelers.

March 29, 2004

More Than 15 Million Travelers Enjoyed Award Travel on U.S. Airlines During 2003
Comparison of U.S.-based carriers also reveals nearly 8% of passengers on an average flight traveled using frequent flyer awards.

March 15, 2004

Growing Number of Low-Fare Airlines Offering Frequent Flyer Programs
Comparison of twelve U.S.-based low-cost carriers indicates the largest five provide frequent flyer programs to their passengers.

July 20, 2008

The Seattle Times
Airlines hope credit cards will help bail them out of financial crisis
For a clue, consider what Ryanair, the big European discount airline, sells besides airline tickets -- life insurance, vacation rentals and scratch cards for gambling. ''It's like the Grand Bazaar,'' says Jay Sorenson, president of Milwaukee-based IdeaWorks, an airline-industry consultant. ``They sell everything but the kitchen sink."

July 18, 2008

Minnesota Public Radio - In The Loop
Get ready to pay for those peanuts
Jay Sorensen is a guest on Minnesota Public Radio and discusses the a la carte fees charged by airlines. Fast forward to 7:50 (7 minutes, 50 seconds into the program) to reach the beginning of the segment.

July 14, 2008

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hoarding miles may not pay off
Frequent flier perks can lose value, given state of airline industry
Sorensen says he's never heard of an acquiring airline refusing to honor the frequent flier miles accumulated by passengers at the airline being sold.

June 10, 2008

USA Today
Is it getting even harder to find a free ticket?
"I think a pullback of capacity will reduce the number of seats allotted for reward travel," says Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks, a Wisconsin consulting company that regularly conducts airline and travel industry marketing studies.

April 2008

Air Transport World
Revenue Window of Opportunity
One of the major airline trade magazine reports on the IdeaWorks Guide to Ancillary Revenue.

February 24, 2008

The New York Times
The Skies Are Alive With Fees
Ancillary revenues are “the magic bullet right now for the airline industry,” said Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks, a brand-marketing company. “The airlines may be thinking mergers are their salvation, but the reality is ancillary revenues are going to be a tremendous source of revenue.”

February 2008

Low Cost & Regional Airline Business
Pot of Gold
Ancillary revenue is becoming ever more important to airlines. Ian Harbison talks to Jay Sorensen of the IdeaWorks Company about a major report compiled by his company on the current winners and future trends.

November 15, 2007

International Herald Tribune
Airlines, down in the dumps, consider unusual spinoff
What if airlines like United and American owned assets that were worth at least as much as the carriers themselves, but few people even realized they had a separate value? That is the case of frequent-flier programs, which are not reflected in airlines' share prices, leading some shareholders to clamor for the programs to be sold.

November 12, 2007

The Street
Airlines Mull Frequent-Flier Spinoffs
"To a certain extent, these programs print money," says Jay Sorensen, president of the airline marketing consultant IdeaWorks. They sell miles that cost little to produce but have vast appeal.

November 5, 2007

Bloomberg
U.S. Airline September Delays Fell on Better Weather
``There are obviously too many flights that have been scheduled into these airports,'' said Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks consulting firm in Shorewood, Wisconsin. ``Who wants to be the first one to bow out? New York is a hot market.''

October 17, 2007

Wall Street Journal
Mileage Plans Add to Flier Ire
Airlines are selling so many miles -- particularly through credit-card partners -- that industry observers wonder if they are giving out too many. "What's going to happen is people are going to be disenfranchised. They'll stop playing the game," says Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks Co., an airline-marketing consulting firm in Shorewood, Wis.

September 28, 2007

Wall Street Journal
Airlines Mull Spinning Off Mileage Plans
The latest head scratcher for airline executives: Is it possible to peel off one of your more profitable components -- your frequent-flier program -- without irreparably damaging your core business?

September 7, 2007

In Business Las Vegas
Airlines set course for more nickel-and-diming
A new report by Wisconsin-based IdeaWorks, a brand development company that helps companies build market share through research, indicates it's likely that more airlines will charge fees for certain services in a bid to build ancillary revenue as a hedge against rising fuel costs and falling air fares.

September 1, 2007

Onboard Services Magazine - Worldwide
Ancillary Revenue Airline Conference 2007 Preview
Jay Sorensen, President of IdeaWorks, a leading consultancy on ancillary revenues, will serve as the Chairman for the Ancillary Revenue Airline Conference 2007 (ARAC).

August 29, 2007

Aviation Week
Airlines See Potential Revenues In IFE Services
Carriers appear poised to seize on ancillary revenues from onboard entertainment including videos, movies and live television, according to a recent survey of airline executives, as product unbundling broadens its reach in airline operations.

July 20, 2007

Forbes.com
Most Rewarding Frequent Flier Programs
Only 7% of airline seats per year are designated as reward ticket seats, according to IdeaWorks, a Wisconsin-based consulting firm that specializes in brand development. And ever financially vulnerable airlines are becoming more reluctant to give up seats for rewards tickets that can otherwise be filled by a customer willing to purchase the ticket.

May 14, 2007

CreditCards.com
IdeaWorks Takes a Look at Airline Miles
Is your airline credit card providing all the frequent flier miles it could?

March 13, 2007

eFlyer - Global Traveler's Weekly eNewsletter
Frequent-Flyer Programs: What Really Matters?
A survey of more than 100 registrants for the third annual FFP Conference showed that while they are all too aware of consumer resentment, other issues may be driving the train. Essentially, the programs aren’t about loyalty any more.

March 6, 2007

The Wall Street Journal
What frequent-flier miles really get you
Are some airlines more miserly than others when making discounted frequent-flier award seats available? It would appear so.

February 25, 2007

Denver Post
Frequent fliers air grievances on "saver" limits
Airline frequent fliers are most frustrated by limits on getting reward flights at low "saver" levels.

December 16, 2006

The Wall Street Journal - Saturday Journal
Is Airline Consolidation About to Get Under Way?
Merger talks between United Airlines and Continental Airlines last week fueled speculation that airline-industry consolidation may be on the horizon.

November 16, 2006

Wall Street Journal
Do fliers gain when airlines consolidate?
US Airways' Delta bid may mean less competition in key markets; frequent-flier impact uncertain

November 7, 2006

Peanuts - The Low Cost Airline Weekly
LCC ancillary revenues versus frequent flyer programmes (Part 2)
This is part two of the IdeaWorks report on ancillary revenues.

November 1, 2006

Air Scoop - The Low Cost Carriers Analysis Newsletter
Europe’s Top 4 Low Cost Carriers Generated €470 Million From Ancillary Revenue Sources in 2005
This is an excerpt from the newsletter and represents a regular feature by IdeaWorks.

October 31, 2006

Peanuts - The Low Cost Airline Weekly
LCC ancillary revenues versus frequent flyer programmes (Part 1)
This is part one of the IdeaWorks report on ancillary revenues.

October 22, 2006

The New York Times
Airline Programs: How Your Frequent Flier Miles Can Disappear
WITH airline partner programs that let travelers earn miles for everything from dining out to ordering contact lenses, there is no shortage of ways to rack up frequent flier miles these days. But redeeming them for a free ticket — as many travelers have learned — is not as simple. in

October 16, 2006

AviTrader
Europe’s top 4 LCCs generated $600 million from non-ticket sources in 2005
An IdeaWorks report unveiled that revenues from non-ticket sources, which are called ancillary revenues, have become an important financial component for low cost carriers (LCCs) in Europe and throughout the world.

October 16, 2006

Air Transport World Daily News
Legacy carriers lead LCCs in generating ancillary revenues
Although Ryanair and other low-cost carriers generate large amounts of revenue from "nonticket sources," legacy airlines derive significantly more by selling frequent-flier miles to partners, typically via co-branded credit cards, says a recent study by IdeaWorks Co.

October 2, 2006

Brandweek
Strategy: Airlines Seek New Ways To Reward Frequent Flyers
With 1.2 trillion airline miles chasing too few seats on U.S. carriers, the shortcomings of frequent flyer programs are becoming increasingly obvious on the redemption side.

September 25, 2006

Business Travel News
Card Use Energizes Reward Accrual
Travelers last year redeemed more than 15 million tickets through airline frequent flyer programs, likely the largest redemption level in the 25-year history of such programs and a 6.5 percent increase over 2004, according to an analysis of the top nine U.S. airline reward programs by marketing consultancy IdeaWorks.

September 25, 2006

Business Travel News
Low-Cost Carriers Bolster Rewards Programs
Several low-cost carriers in the past year have launched loyalty programs as a way to make their products more palatable to business travelers, according to analysis by IdeaWorks, a branding and marketing consulting firm.

August 10, 2006

Americas Duty Free & Travel Retailing
Duty-Free incentives: deferred reward?
A new airline industry study says that low-cost carriers (LCCs) are shedding their “no-frills” image by adding new services and amenities to their frequent-flier programs as they compete for passengers. Titled “Low Cost Airlines Launch a New Batch of Frequent Flier Programs All Over the Globe,” the study was conducted by U.S.-based IdeaWorks and examines new frequent flier programs rolled out by eight LCCs from around the world.

August 8, 2006

USA Today
Small airlines set up big rewards
As travelers continue to grumble about the limitations of established frequent-flier programs, eight small airlines over the past year have quietly begun programs that include some innovative wrinkles.

June 14, 2006

St. Petersburg Times
Airline rewards shrouded in mystery.
A travel industry consultant crunched the figures from the nine largest airlines. The IdeaWorks Co. reported that airlines awarded more free tickets last year than in 2004 - a record 15.6-million, up 6.5 percent.

June 4, 2006

Boston Globe
Frequent-flyer restrictions not sitting well.
Travelers find it hard to cash in miles for seats.

May 24, 2006

SmarterTravel.com
Airline frequent flyer programs by the numbers.
The IdeaWorks Company knows its way around corporate financial statements and periodically gives the airlines' 10-Ks the once-over, with a particular focus on the airlines' mileage programs.

May 22, 2006

Wall Street Journal
Plan ahead for rewards.
The Problem: Making the most of your frequent-flier miles. The Solution: Act early. Airlines generally schedule their flights 330 or more days in advance, meaning rewards seats are up for grabs almost a year before the departure date.

May 21, 2006

Boston Globe
How much are those miles?

March 4, 2006

FFP Online
The IdeaWorks Report on Reward Partnerships.
The Top 15 U.S. Frequent Guest Programs.

March 1, 2006

Airline Business
What is price loyalty?
Frequent-flyer programs range from simple air mile reward schemes to elaborate partnerships. Do they have a place in the business model of the low-cost carrier?

January 14, 2005

USA Today
Fliers wonder if there's no such thing as a free ride;
Cashing in miles for tickets is getting tougher.

December 20, 2005

The Economist
Funny money; Frequent-flyer miles.
Who will cheer loudest when frequent-flyer miles celebrate their 25th birthday?

December 9, 2005

Wall Street Journal
Now Hoarding.
Airlines are giving frequent fliers more ways to cash in miles for goods-- offering flat-screen TVs and hot tubs, even auctioning off cars. Our reporter asks: Are these smart buys?

December 6, 2005

Delta Offers Customers New Award Ticket Functionality at delta.com
According to The IdeaWorks Company,
"An independent airline consulting firm, Delta led the industry in Award Ticket redemption in 2004 with 2.9 million redeemed tickets . . . "

September 28, 2005

MSNBC
The economics of airline award travel.
Why there is too much mileage currency chasing too few seats?

September 27, 2005

MSNBC
Peanuts! The low cost airline weekly.
Frequent Flyer Partnership for the Worlds Top 20 LCCs.
IdeaWorks provided content for the monthly Perspective column of the weekly publication from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Peanuts! is the only global source for low cost airline news, strategic issues and vital analysis; it covers news from around 100 existing and start-up LCAs, share prices, traffic data, route changes & Internet usage data. Subscription information appears at the end of the newsletter.

September 16, 2005

ABC News
Good Question: Vanishing Miles.
With Airlines Finances So Precarious, What'll Become of the Airline Miles I've Earned?

September, 2005

Kiplinger's Personal Finance
What you need to know about Mileage Rewards.

May 30, 2005

FrequentFlier.com
Frequent Flyer Programs by the Numbers.
What the airlines' annual reports reveal about their loyalty programs. Analyzing airline financial reports is a dirty job. Luckily, Jay Sorensen of IdeaWorks saved us the eye (and brain) strain and undertook the accounting detective work himself.

May 25, 2005

New York Times
Frequent-Flier Threat.
With unions at United Airlines considering a strike over lost benefits, IdeaWorks, the research company, took a detailed look at how a work stoppage might affect United's huge frequent-flier program, Mileage Plus.

May 16, 2005

USA Today
Fliers quickly cash in US Airways rewards.
Industrywide, frequent fliers claimed 14.7 million free trips, down 2.1% from 2003, according to IdeaWorks. The Wisconsin-based consultant uses airlines' government filings to analyze reward travel. "People are reading in the media that (US Airways) is in danger of shutting down and are thinking, 'Gee, I'd better cash in my miles,' " says Jay Sorensen, IdeaWorks' president.

May 5, 2005

News & Observer
Miles multiplying.
Frequent fliers rack up rewards, but find them hard to use

May 2, 2005

The Charlotte Observer
Miles multiplying - Frequent fliers rack up rewards, but find them hard to use.
"In 2004, the airline industry operated at record activity with record numbers of passengers," said IdeaWorks president Jay Sorensen. "One would imagine frequent fliers would move up in a corresponding manner in reward activity but ... it dropped and liability increased."

March 13, 2005

The New York Times
Fliers Find That Mileage Points Go Only So Far
In 1994, airlines required only 20,000 miles for a free ticket. Coupled with higher airfares, that meant miles were worth about 2 cents apiece, according to IdeaWorks, a consulting firm in Shorewood, Wis. Today, with airfares way down but the mileage requirement way up, miles are worth about 1.4 cents apiece, IdeaWorks says.

February 27, 2005

Denver Post
Breaking the frequent-flier piggy bank.
The buying power of frequent-flier miles has fallen 33 percent since 1994, based on values for American, Continental, Delta and United, according to an analysis by Jay Sorensen, president of business consulting firm IdeaWorks.

February 25, 2005

Business Journal
Midwest, other airlines struggle to guess passenger demand for meals.
"Airlines used to tell Sky Chefs how many meals to produce. Now caterers are in the position of trying to guess," Sorensen said. If caterers prepare too few meals for a given flight, they run the risk of alienating customers. Conversely, preparing too many meals cuts into their profits, Sorensen said.

October 4, 2004

US Air Realigns Sales, Delta Pushes Pilots
Airlines entering the liquidation phase,
"In which operations cease and the assets are sold, are likely to demonstrate little concern for unused award tickets or unredeemed miles," according to a recent report issued by IdeaWorks, a brand development and marketing consultancy. "Unused mileage will likely be rendered worthless."

September 1, 2004

Frommers.com
Finally No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards. Will they matter?
An unbiased, non-commissioned report by IdeaWorks, a consulting company out of Shorewood, Wisconsin that researches consumer expectations and matches them with corporate development, recently released a study taking a close look at the no-fee airline credit card.

July 29, 2004

USA Today
Airfares down during last quarter in Milwaukee airport.
"Clearly, the discount airlines are here to stay, and the legacy carriers are falling all over themselves to adapt to this new world,"

June 2, 2004

USA Today
"Frequent Fliers Lose Out"
Snapshot in the Money Section features IdeaWorks data

May 3, 2004

USA Today
"Rewards for Flying"
Snapshot in the Money section features IdeaWorks data

April 21, 2004

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Air fares 'all over the map'
As low-cost carriers press major airlines, ticket prices vary widely

April 20, 2004

The Wall Street Journal
The Shifting Rules Of Flying Free.

April 13, 2004

The New York Times
Travel News - 5.2 Million Free Trips.

April 1, 2004

BestFares.com
IdeaWorks Compiles Facts on Frequent Flyer Award Travel.

April 6, 2004

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Frequent-flier miles can't always be used, but programs are here to stay.

November 10, 2003

Poised for another takeoff
IdeaWorks captures lead article in the business section of
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.