Credit-worthy data - airline loyalty can be increased by award of frequent flyer miles for credit card purchases - co-branded credit cards

American Demographics, August, 1997 by Matthew Klein

Thousands of Americans tote credit cards that earn them airline frequent-traveler miles with their purchases. But can a credit card make them more loyal to an airline? Maybe so, according to data from Brittain Associates. More than half of airline cardholders say the rewards influence their pick of airlines, and one in three say it strongly influences their choice.

Airline cards are just one in an ever-expanding field of competitiors. Platinum cards, cobranded cards, reward cards, and now smart and debit cards are all options for credit-hungry Americans. Brittain Associates is one of the companies trying to sort out the whys and wherefores of consumers' relationships with their credit lines. At the company's Web site, you can get a taste of what Brittain Associates knows.

The company conducts ongoing studies of airline travel award cards, GM MasterCards, and cobranded gas cards, among others, and has put some of the tables from these studies online. Claimed payment behavior of GM cardholders and the demographics of airline reward cardholders are among the tidbits on view.

Brittain also researches investment management services, and its site features some excerpts from these reports. Data include demographics of personal trust clients and client contact with portfolio managers. A short registration is required for entry to the site.

http://www.brittainassociates.com