航空公司常旅客新規有何影響

Tension is growing between employers looking to rein in spending and business travelers who treasure their hard-earned frequent-flier miles.

一些航空公司採取了根據票價而不是距離來獎勵乘客的新政策。在航空公司紛紛調整常旅客獎勵政策之際，尋求控制支出的僱主與珍惜來之不易的里程獎勵的員工之間矛盾越來越大。

Under new airline policies that reward travelers based on fares, not distance, fliers have incentive to book expensive tickets close to the departure date rather than plan ahead with cheaper advance-purchase itineraries. The Business Travel Coalition, a lobbying group of travel managers and travel agencies, polled 66 industry executives this week and found 84% believe the new way of calculating frequent-flier rewards will lead to higher travel prices.

一些航空公司採取了根據票價而不是距離來獎勵乘客的新政策，這些政策或促使旅行者臨行前才訂購價格昂貴的機票，而不是提前安排行程，預訂優惠機票。代表差旅經理和旅行社的遊說組織美國商務旅行聯盟(Business Travel Coalition)近期對業內66名管理人士進行的調查發現，84%的人認爲，計算常旅客獎勵的新方式會導致差旅費用增加。

Some corporate travel managers suspect travelers are starting to delay bookings or make superfluous trips because airlines have made it tempting to do so. 'We have people requesting trips they might not have taken in the past,' said Kevin Maguire, director of travel for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Texas and a past president of the Global Business Travel Association. 'And it's going to get worse.' He also thinks employees are booking later.

一些公司的差旅經理懷疑，在航空公司新規的誘惑下，旅客會推遲訂票或者做出不必要的行程安排。得克薩斯大學(University of Texas)校際運動員旅行事務負責人、全球商務旅行協會(Global Business Travel Association)前總裁凱文·馬圭爾(Kevin Maguire)表示：“有人要求安排一些他們過去不會安排的行程。估計情況還會變得更糟。”他還認爲現在員工訂票比過去晚了。

How baited is the hook? Southwest Airlines, which switched to fare-based rewards in 2011, offers 1,847 Rapid Rewards points on its $353 'Wanna Get Away' discounted fare, and 11,654 points on its $1,066 'Business Select' fare. Pay three times the fare and collect six times the points.

縮水的常旅客里程獎勵那麼誘惑究竟有多大呢？美國西南航空(Southwest Airlines)2011年將獎勵計劃調整爲與票價掛鉤，針對售價353美元的“Wanna Get Away”打折機票的Rapid Rewards計劃返點爲1,847點，針對售價1,066美元的“Business Select”機票的返點則爲11,654點。支付三倍的票價就可以獲得六倍的返點。

Starting next year, Delta Air Lines will pay four times as many SkyMiles on a $1,600 ticket as on a $400 ticket. Today, it awards miles based mostly on distance. Even JetBlue Airways has changed its calculations, giving three points per dollar spent, plus bonuses for booking directly with JetBlue and for extra-legroom fares.

從明年開始，在達美航空公司(Delta Air Lines)購買售價1,600美元的機票，可獲得相當於400美元機票四倍的飛凡里程常客計劃(SkyMiles)返點。該公司現在主要根據飛行距離來獎勵里程。就連捷藍航空(JetBlue Airways)也改變了計算方法，在該公司每花一美元購票，可獲得三點返點，另外，直接在捷藍航空訂票或者訂購加長空間座位還可獲得額外獎勵。

Most businesses let employees keep frequent-flier miles or rewards accrued on business trips, a perk of being away from home that travelers care passionately about. High status brings upgrades and smoother travel. Any move by companies to claim the miles would touch off a backlash, industry executives say.

多數公司都允許員工保留常旅客里程或者在商務旅行中累積的獎勵，而員工也非常看重這項出差帶來的福利。等級較高的常旅客計劃會員可以享受升艙，旅途也更爲舒適。業內管理人士稱，公司一旦採取行動收回里程獎勵，就會招致激烈反對。

Steve Howarth, a quality-control expert from Salt Lake City, travels to inspect facilities for clients and is easily within Delta's highest frequent-flier status, called Diamond. He got an email from the airline saying based on his past trips he is likely to end up with more miles under the new plan. Flight by flight, Mr. Howarth compared his 2014 miles so far with miles he would expect to get under the 2015 rules at the same fares. The result, covering a period of almost four months: a 19,000-mile reduction, or about 20% less. He expects to spend his own money more often for tickets for his four children on family trips.

來自鹽湖城的質控專家史蒂夫·豪沃思(Steve Howarth)經常到各地出差，爲客戶檢查設備，他輕鬆成爲達美航空級別最高的 石卡(Diamond)會員。豪沃思收到達美航空的一封電子郵件稱，根據他過去的行程，在新規下他有望獲得更多里程獎勵。於是豪沃思把他2014年以來歷次飛行累積的里程數與2015年新規下相同票價的累積里程數逐一對比。結果顯示，在將近四個月的時間段中：累積里程數減少了19,000英里，降幅約爲20%。他估計今後在家庭旅行時，他要更多地爲四個孩子的機票自掏腰包了。

Anthony Black, a Delta spokesman, said although the airline will issue fewer miles under the redesigned program, it will make more award tickets available at lower mileage redemption levels. So while Mr. Howarth will earn fewer miles, he'll spend fewer miles to get free tickets. Miles will become more valuable and travelers like Mr. Howarth will have an easier time claiming awards, Mr. Black said.

達美航空的發言人安東尼·布萊克(Anthony Black)說，根據新計劃，雖然里程獎勵減少了，但該公司也針對較低的里程兌換等級推出了更多獎勵機票。也就是說，雖然豪沃思獲得的里程獎勵減少了，但他用較少的里程數就能兌換到免費機票。布萊克說，里程會變得更有價值，而像豪沃思這樣的乘客領取獎勵會變得更輕鬆。

'The 2015 SkyMiles program isn't intended to change the behavior of a corporate or business traveler or to direct them to more expensive fares,' he said. 'It will benefit the traveler who often is unable to book lower fares that require an advance purchase or who must book flights that have only higher classes of service available.'

他說：“2015年的飛凡里程常客計劃不是要改變公司或商務旅行者的行爲，也不是要誘導他們購買更貴的機票。新政策將有利於那些經常因沒有提前預定而買不到優惠機票或者必須購買僅有更高等級艙位航班的旅客。”

Mr. Howarth says he is 'not real happy' about the changes but will continue to seek discounted business-travel fares. Trying to fly on more-expensive fares, he says, 'really is up to the individual and their integrity.'

豪沃思說，他“其實並不樂意”看到政策的變化，但他會繼續在商務旅行時尋找打折機票。他說，買不買更貴的機票“其實取決於個人和他們的誠信度”。

The Business Travel Coalition survey found 82% of travel executives believe the new incentives will make it harder to get employees to adhere to corporate travel policies. Kevin Mitchell, the coalition's chairman, thinks companies will police travel spending more, track which employees book trips close to departure and force more high-level approval for expensive tickets. 'I think this is a big move,' he said.

商務旅行聯盟的調查發現，82%的差旅管理者認爲，新的獎勵規定會導致員工更難遵守公司的差旅政策。該機構主席凱文·米切爾(Kevin Mitchell)認爲，公司會更加嚴格地監督差旅支出，追蹤哪些員工在臨行前訂票，並要求員工購買高價機票時須經過更多的高層審批。他說：“我認爲這是一項重大的變化。”

Yet some of the biggest abusers historically have been senior executives, Mr. Mitchell said. Word gets around. 'It all gets down to: What's in it for me?' he said.

但米切爾說，從過去的情況來看，違規最嚴重的恰恰是高管。他表示，說來說去，“一切都歸結爲：新規對我有什麼好處？”

Other airlines are expected to follow Southwest, Delta and JetBlue into revenue-based frequent-flier rewards. After all, it's the fares that matter most to airlines, and they say they want to give their best rewards to their best customers.

預計其他航空公司也會效仿美國西南航空、達美航空和捷藍航空的做法，採取基於運營收入的常旅客獎勵政策。畢竟，對航空公司來說最重要的是票價，而航空公司表示，他們想把最好的獎勵授予最好的顧客。

Southwest's average fare has risen 19% over the past three years -- faster than the rest of the industry. The airline says there are many reasons for the rise, including the addition to its network of more long flights that cost more. But the frequent-flier change has led to more purchases of higher fares. 'The program is contributing to that but is not the largest driver,' a Southwest spokesman said. The airline has found customers are 'willing to pay more' to get points, he added.

美國西南航空的平均票價在過去三年裏上漲了19%——增速比業內其他公司快。該公司稱，票價上漲有很多原因，其中之一是公司在網絡中增加了更多費用較高的長途航班。但常旅客計劃的調整也導致乘客更多地購買價格較高的機票。美國西南航空一名發言人稱：“常旅客計劃是原因之一，但不是最重要的原因。”他補充稱，公司發現，顧客“願意花更多錢”來獲得點數獎勵。

Airline incentives to accumulate points are more powerful than hotel and car-rental loyalty programs, which have always based points on dollars. Several airlines have added spending requirements to qualify for elite-level status. That means reaching gold, platinum or higher isn't just a matter of how many miles you fly or flights you take. Carriers sometimes exclude frequent-flier rewards on low international fares; if you want to earn miles, you have to buy a higher fare.

航空公司的點數累積獎勵政策比酒店或租車公司的客戶忠誠計劃力度更大。酒店和租車公司一直都將返點與消費金額掛鉤。有幾家航空公司提高了取得精英等級的支出要求。這就意味着，要達到金卡、白金卡會員或更高等級，不能只看你飛了多少里程或乘坐了多少個航班。航空公司有時候不累積低價國際機票的常旅客獎勵里程；如果你想贏得更多里程數，就得購買較貴的機票。

Corporate travel managers set policies specifying preferred airlines, hotels and car-rental companies, plus limits on business-class and first-class bookings, whether the lowest fare must be selected and whether travelers have to make a connection to get a better fare or can fly on more-expensive nonstop flights. Airlines sign contracts with companies for loyalty, offering travel managers ticket discounts and upgrades to dole out, in exchange for a percentage of the company's bookings overall and on specific routes.

公司的差旅經理制定政策，指定優先選擇哪些航空公司、酒店和租車公司，限制商務艙和頭等艙機票的訂購。他們還就是否必須選擇最低票價，是選擇需要轉機的路線以獲得更優惠機票還是選擇票價較貴的直飛航班等問題做出規定。爲贏得客戶的忠誠，航空公司會與企業簽訂合同，提供機票折扣和升艙機會供差旅經理分配，並從企業手中獲得一定比例的訂單和特定路線訂單。

Travelers often break policies when they book, though. A Global Business Travel Association study in February found 59% of business travelers went out of policy on at least one major expense during their most recent trip. Out-of-policy bookings typically were 14% more expensive, the study found. These expenses may be legitimate. An expensive flight might be needed to make a last-minute meeting on time.

不過，商務旅行人士在訂票時經常會違反政策。全球商務旅行協會2月份一項研究發現，59%的商務旅行者在最近一次行程中至少有一項重大花銷違反了規定。研究發現，違規訂購的票價一般要貴14%。不過，這些花費也可能是合情合理的。比方說，要想準時出席臨時召開的會議，就有可能需要購買價格昂貴的機票。

Robin Whitley, who works for the U.S. government in England, travels often around the world for business plus personal trips home to California. She has top-tier status on both American and Delta. Her office insists on booking the lowest fare. But, like many travelers, she'll sometimes tweak her schedule to get the flights she wants, such as adding a Saturday night stay so a Delta or American fare becomes lower or comparable to another airline.

美國政府駐英國的工作人員羅賓·惠特利(Robin Whitley)經常在世界各地出差，並因私回加州的家。她在美國航空(American)和達美航空都享有最高會員級別。她的辦公室要求訂購價格最低的機票。但和許多旅行者一樣，有時候她會稍稍調整一下自己的時間安排，以搭乘她想訂的航班，比如週六晚上多住一晚，這樣一來，達美航空或美國航空的票價就會比另一家航空公司低，或者與之相當了。

She figures next year she'll get only about 60% of the miles she currently gets on Delta due to the change. 'I'm not going to pay $3,500 to fly across the Atlantic,' she said. Still, she knows many frequent fliers obsess over miles and will find ways to maximize benefits under the new rules. 'It is going to change the face of the game,' she said.

她發現，政策調整後，明年她在達美航空就只能累積相當於現在60%左右的里程了。她說：“我是不會花3,500美元從英國飛到加州的。”不過，她知道許多常旅客很在乎里程數，他們會在新規下想方設法實現利益的最大化。她說：“這會改變遊戲的格局。”