SOUTHWEST LOYALTY PROGRAM UPDATED

Southwest Airlines has initiated the first overhaul of its frequent-flier program for 23 years. The airline has added rewards with no black-out dates and redemptions for international flights on other carriers. Chief executive officer Gary Kelly said the revamp of its Rapid Rewards loyalty plan should add “several hundred million” dollars a year in revenue. Which is just as well as he has spent almost $100 million on the project in a bid to win new customers and deepen ties to existing business travellers. “If we get our fair share of frequent fliers, the opportunity is huge,” Kelly said. “We’re