America Online on Monday launched a new
online-offline consumer loyalty network with American Airlines, and chose rewards player Netcentives to provide the technology
to power it and a new rewards program for ICQ.
AOL is also taking a significant stake of Netcentives, but financial terms
of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
The multi-year deal calls for Netcentives to be the exclusive provider of
rewards programs for AOL, including the AOL AAdvantage program, jointly
administered with American Airlines, which is expected to launch this Spring.
The new three-year program will allow members of AOL, or of American
Airlines’ AAdvantage program, to have more opportunities to redeem their
loyalty points, which will include buying consumer products, AOL service,
air travel and more. The two companies have also agreed to launch a
multi-million-dollar cross-marketing campaign to their millions of members.
“We are essentially creating a whole new currency for the online
generation,” says Don Carty, chairman and chief executive officer of
American Airlines.
AOL has also tapped Netcentives to help it launch “ICQ Click Rewards,”
which will give loyal users of the instant messaging service an opportunity
to earn ClickMiles and redeem them for products. The program is expected to
begin later this year.