Why did you launch Principal Rewards?

Since the Covid lockdown we have noticed a change in mindset among travellers and their employees. Travellers are more mindful of their health and wellbeing and aren’t willing to get on a 10-hour flight, sit in a middle seat in economy, do a top-level sales pitch, wine and dine a client then fly back the next day, go straight into the office and do a presentation to the C-suite. Those days are gone. Meanwhile, organisations are realising that to attract and retain good people, which is becoming more difficult, they need to look after their travellers and make them feel valued and appreciated and, as a result, earn a reputation as a go-to employer.

How does the scheme work?

It’s very simple. Travellers earn points for every aspect of their trip they book with us. So, if they book a flight, hotel and a taxi transfer, they will earn points for each element of their itinerary. Points are also awarded for meetings and events reservations. It’s not based on how much is spent because that would be unfair for those road warriors who are travelling domestically, maybe staying in a budget hotel, but who are still away from their loved ones. Travellers can cash in their points for the most basic rewards, such as a lounge pass or upgraded airport parking, or keep hold of them for the higher-tier rewards such as hotel room upgrade or a spa package. The points are automatically awarded for each transaction and travellers will receive a regular statement. There are no expiry dates, and we cover the cost of the rewards as part of our marketing budget.

What has the feedback been so far?

We went live with Principal Rewards in the spring and signed up all our current client base, so around 600 travellers. The response has been positive. Of course, some travellers are more engaged than others, but they are really appreciating the extra touches, such as car park meet and greet or airport fast track. These are relatively low cost but have a big impact on morale and motivation. We are now talking to potential clients about the scheme in our RFPs and they are really interested in the concept. We’ve already won new business on the back of it.

What are the benefits for your clients? 

The scheme costs nothing for them – we do all the work – but they can have it there as part of their toolkit. With the growing cost and complexities of recruiting people, it helps them attract and retain talent. It also helps them with duty of care for several reasons. Firstly, it encourages travellers to book through their TMC, rather than booking direct. This means finance teams don’t have to be trawling through taxi expense claims or bookings made directly with hotels with a traveller’s personal bank card. It also means companies can keep track of where their people are in cases of an emergency. Of course, it also means their travellers are feeling cared for and are arriving for their meeting or for an engineering project feeling happier, healthier and more motivated and will ultimately do a better job.

principaltravel.co.uk/principal-rewards

travel@principaltravel.co.uk

Ingrid Sanderson, Founder and CEO, Principal Travel

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