Airlines are shifting focus to monetize elite status, one of the least-tapped ancillary revenue opportunities in travel. According to loyalty experts, while points and miles are transactional, status is emotional, creating harder-to-replicate loyalty. Elite members, making up just 3-7% of an airline’s customer base, generate 20-30% of total revenue and prioritize recognition and convenience over price. Airlines are introducing products to let travelers earn, retain, or enhance status, such as status accelerators and personalized elite benefits.
AI and Elite Status
AI could accelerate this trend by making fare comparisons easier and reducing price as a competitive differentiator. This would push airlines to compete on recognition and premium experience, areas where elite status carries more weight. It’s a broader evolution in airline loyalty strategy, transforming elite status into a standalone commercial product to drive ancillary revenue and strengthen retention.
Vibe brings AI assistants to corporate travel booking without cutting out the TMC
Vibe has launched an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets corporate travellers search, book, and manage flights, rail, hotels, and itineraries through AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot, while keeping the Travel Management Company (TMC) fully in control of approved content, supplier relationships, payments, policies, and reporting—an industry first, according to the company.
The integration allows TMCs to offer AI-powered booking and servicing within their existing managed travel programmes without building their own AI infrastructure, addressing the risk of travellers booking outside corporate systems via consumer AI tools. ITG Business Travel is the first client live with the integration, currently testing it with corporate clients to gather insights for future development.
Related: GlobalTix and Myrealtrip join forces in travel tech push
In other travel news, Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in MENA, has partnered with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to launch an integrated digital platform for pilgrims. The platform combines flight bookings, verified hotels, licensed ground services, and facilitated Umrah visa request submissions in one place.
Under the operating model, the Ministry oversees regulation and quality compliance, licensed providers handle ground operations, and Wego manages marketing, sales, and transactions (all conducted in Saudi riyals). The platform offers three service tiers—Essential (airport reception and on-ground support), Standard (adds intercity transport between Makkah and Madinah), and Premium (private transfers, curated sightseeing, 24/7 support)—alongside consumer protections such as flexible modifications, refund eligibility, and multilingual customer support.
Wego is also inviting additional licensed Umrah providers to join the platform, which is accessible at www.wego.com/umrah, as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to digitize and streamline the pilgrim experience.