Since the closure of Jet Airways, JetPrivilege has been unable to run a full-blown airline loyalty programme, given the core airline that powered the proposition vanished. Etihad, which is the majority owner of the programme, has promulgated the programme as being affiliated with Etihad Airways Group, to ensure there was no run on the programme. However, people ran helter-skelter and redeemed their miles for as low as ₹ 0.20 with Amazon Vouchers and what not.
JetPrivilege has been doing a lot of patchwork on the programme for many months now, for instance, launching a redemption option where JP would buy revenue tickets and provide these to members as a redemption option. However, the value with this option was down to 17-33 paise. They also launched an opportunity where members could earn JPMiles by buying tickets on other airlines. In October 2019, the loyalty programme also quietly took away any opportunities that remained in redemptions for Etihad Airways.
It has been known for a while that the JetPrivilege brand name is up for change. The whole programme will also change on November 14, 2019, as per JetPrivilege. If you head over to jetprivilege.com right now, you would see a blank screen with a mundane page, which looks like this.
However, there lies the clue into the something new part that JetPrivilege has been talking about often.
People have been wondering for a long time about why is JetPrivilege sending them messages when Jet Airways is over. For instance,
@jetairways @JetPrivilege why r u still sending these updates when u r officially not flying. pic.twitter.com/MZSp5SdmBF
— Mahe1966 (@mahe1966) November 12, 2019
I don't know what is happening with @jetairways but wondering who is still sending below 👇mail on behalf of @JetPrivilege ????? pic.twitter.com/qZNbLpssrK
— Foodie…… (@mohammadanwar) November 8, 2019
Anyhow, JetPrivilege must have blown tonne of money on advertisements and out of home advertising at Airports trying to make people understand that JetPrivilege is different than Jet Airways until they concluded that they had to change their name.
In my personal view, JP should have spent that money on equalising the value to the customers rather than splurge on advertising worth crores. For instance, kept that J Class ticket between Mumbai and Delhi at 17000 JPMiles rather than make it 62500 JPMiles overnight. But then, as an outsider, I don’t know their plans.
Coming to the point. I can now reliably tell you that the name of JetPrivilege and JPMiles will change over to InterMiles from tomorrow, November 14, 2019, onwards. The website will be moved to intermiles.com thereon.
The hint has been around in the imagery all along, that i signifies the new name of the new programme.
As per the information I have been able to piece together so far when the programme goes live on November 14, 2019, onwards again, Intermiles will continue to be having a tier-based programme. The following tiers will be put into place:
- Red
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
How to qualify for these tiers will be disclosed by JetPrivilege/intermiles as and when the programme will be launched.
What will happen to my JPMiles?
JPMiles will be renamed as Intermiles, and your JPMiles will become Intermiles in a 1:1 ratio.
How to earn intermiles?
The programme will continue to have all the current options to earn miles as well, such as selling flights for earning intermiles and redemptions, fuel, hotels, shopping and so on. You will also be able to earn intermiles for recharges.
The credit card partnerships will be retained, and JetPrivilege/intermiles also seems ready to launch another collaboration on the RBL Bank platform, which would be their move into fintech perhaps, with some wallet proposition to be called interpay. I expect this to be on the lines of WalletPlus by parent Etihad Guest.
Free Lounge Access benefit
One of the benefits of intermiles will be complimentary lounge access to members. I am aware that members will be issued credits towards domestic lounge access, which they will be able to burn for themselves or other passengers booked via flights.intermiles.com when logged in. This benefit would come into existence on December 1, 2019.
Bottomline
The transition to intermiles will be bittersweet for JetPrivilege, which is celebrating (or not!) their 25 years this year. However, the company name will continue to be Jet Privilege Private limited for the foreseen future. While for the programme and its owner, it would be a fresh start, for customers, it would continue to hurt given their JPMiles/intermiles balances won’t be moved up in the same ratio as the redemptions had moved up overnight.
What do you think of the new name and the programme per se?
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My silver tier has been upgraded to Platinum tier. But don’t what are the special benefits???
So here are the shockers. I recently flew Etihad Economy and was offered all the benefits for erstwhile Jet Airways Platinum. That has disappeared from the new intermiles it seems. Basically the program just became worse.
Got an email saying that they have upgraded my tier from silver to gold. Also the redemption options are like etihad now with flexi and standard award seats. Still many of the redemption are as atrocious as in the erstwhile jet privilege program
Wonder what’s the number of jpmiles people are still hoarding ! With the way I see it since April there would have been only redemption.
Even with a new skin it is bound to fall short.
Naye naye packet mein beche tumko cheez purani
Phir bhi dil hain hindustani
What’s hindustani in this , God knows but the first liner applies here very well.