Skip to content
Go to Home Page
News

How Much Do You Really Know About Airline Loyalty Programs?

Michael Y. Park
Articles
Michael Y. Park is a senior contributing editor who’s written for The New York Times, Reuters, Bon Appetit and others. For TPG, he’s written about Air Force One, immigration and security, airline food and more.
July 12, 2016
•
3 min read
img-frequent-flyers-featured-courtesy-of-wikimedia-commons
How Much Do You Really Know About Airline Loyalty Programs?
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.

So you think you're a frequent-flying expert? Find out how well you really know your airline loyalty programs with this quiz — then check your answers below and let us know how you did.

1. What was the first airline in the world to launch a loyalty rewards program for its customers?
a) American Airlines
b) Western Airlines
c) United Airlines
d) Delta Air Lines

2. Which airline was the first to come out with a loyalty program that specifically counted the miles traveled?
a) Texas International Airlines
b) American Airlines
c) Pan Am
d) Hawaiian Airlines

3. What is the the only major U.S. airline currently operating without a frequent-flyer program?
a) Allegiant Air
b) JetBlue
c) Sun Country
d) Virgin America

4. For $99 (or 117 points and $60), you can order an inflight marriage-proposal kit from which airline? (An attendant will also bring wine, two glasses and chocolates — if the answer is yes.)
a) Air France
b) El Al
c) Thai Airways
d) Alitalia

5. For 9,000 miles, Air France will give you a make up bag made out of what item you'd normally expect to see on your flight, not in your purse?
a) Part of the wing
b) An old-school captain's uniform
c) A captain's cap
d) A recycled life vest

6. What's the name of the LAM Mozambique Airlines loyalty program?
a) Sandpiper Rewards
b) Flamingo Club
c) Cloud Miles
d) Choice Privileges

7. If you're redeeming FlySmiLes, you're a member of which loyalty program?
a) Spirit Airlines
b) Caribbean Airlines
c) SriLankan Airlines
d) Wizz Air

8. What's the name of the lowest membership tier of the Air France-KLM Flying Blue mileage program?
a) Bleu
b) Ivory
c) Roquefort
d) Gold

Sign up for our daily newsletter

9. In 2011, United Airlines changed the name of its old frequent-flyer program to MileagePlus. What was it called before?
a) SkyPass
b) United Airlines Frequent Flyer Rewards
c) UFIA (United Flyers International Awards)
d) Mileage Plus

10. The designer of the logo for the American Airlines AAdvantage program, Massimo Vignelli, also designed which of the following?
a) The New York City subway map
b) The logo of the 1984 Summer Olympics
c) The New York Yankees logo
d) The Adidas trefoil logo

Answers:

1. c) United Airlines, in 1972.
2. a) Texas International Airlines, in 1979.
3. a) Allegiant Air
4. b) El Al
5. d) A recycled life vest
6. b) Flamingo Club
7. c) SriLankan Airlines
8. b) Ivory
9. d) Mileage Plus (with a space)
10. a) The New York City subway map

How many of these did you get right? Share your results in the comments section, below.

Featured image by People on a plane. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.