Brand revamp for Jet Privilege; now called 'InterMiles'

Loyalty and rewards management company Jet Privilege Pvt Ltd (JPPL) on Thursday unveiled a new brand identity 'InterMiles' as part of its growth strategy.

Carved out as a separate entity from the now-grounded Jet Airways more than five years ago, JPPL has close to 10 million members.

"InterMiles will encompass both the award-winning loyalty and rewards programme (previously, JetPrivilege) and the ubiquitous rewards and recognition currency (previously, JPMiles)," the company said in a release.

JPPL, part of Etihad Aviation Group which holds 50.1 per cent stake, said it offers the members the opportunity to earn and redeem 'InterMiles' across more than 10 categories and over 150 programme partners.

Jet Airways, which is undergoing insolvency process, still holds 49.9 per cent shareholding in the company. The full service airline shuttered operations in April after running out of cash.

Noting that interchangeability is the key element, JPPL Managing Director Manish Dureja said there is only a brand change and new benefits and features will be part of the programme.

"For us, we have to run the business and grow the business. As part of our strategy, we have decided to do it under a different brand... It is basically extending the strategy in the last five years of going forward," he told PTI.

When asked about the impact of Jet Airways insolvency, Dureja said, "we are not impacted (by it)".

JPPL was set up to manage and further develop JPMiles, a loyalty and rewards programme.

Even as Jet Airways faced turbulence before being forced to ground operations, JPPL has been a profitable venture. The company's profit after tax rose to Rs 129.82 crore last year from Rs 121.64 crore in 2017, as per a document issued for prospective bidders of Jet Airways under the insolvency process.

According to the company, 'InterMiles' suggests the interchangeable nature of the rewards currency where it can be earned and redeemed across platforms including airlines, hotels, dine, shop, and fuel.

JPPL is on an exciting transformational journey over the last five years to expand from an airline-centric programme to emerging as an everyday travel-and-lifestyle rewards programme as discerning consumers have shifted beyond transactional rewards and cashback, the release said.

"We are embarking on a new journey with InterMiles, built on sound business fundamentals, the trust of millions of members and the passion of a committed team. What started as a frequent flyer programme has, today, become the platform of choice that empowers our members to fulfill their travel and lifestyle aspirations," Dureja said in the release.

About the new design, JPPL said "the marque, comprising a dot (the first step of the journey) and dash (the way/ path one takes on the journey), signifies the brand’s promise to customers to make their every journey more rewarding".

The brand colour is a bespoke shade, 'Twilight Red' that combines warmth, enthusiasm, playfulness and energy that would appeal to the core target group of experience seekers, it added. Members can earn miles through 'intermiles.com' website.

To a query on whether JPPL is looking for an airline partner, Dureja said it continuously evaluates partnerships and that the company is also well-funded.

In July, he said that JPPL was on an accelerated growth path to build a robust vertical-agnostic, multi-brand customer engagement platform.

The company has around 135 staff.