Frequent fliers may soon be able to get miles just for parking at the airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson International is launching a program to award miles on certain airlines for parking in airport lots or shopping or eating at concessions. The idea is to boost travelers’ spending at the airport and compete with off-airport lots.
The airport is seeking Atlanta city council approval for a $135,000 single-source contract for one year with Thanks Again LLC, based in the Fayette County town of Tyrone, to launch the loyalty program.
The company already works with certain concessionaires at Hartsfield-Jackson to offer miles. The partnership with the airport is aimed at broadening the program to more concessions and to parking garages and lots.
The airport hopes to launch the program by September. Passengers would be able to register credit cards for free to earn miles with Delta, Alaska, United or Continental airlines or US Airways by shopping, eating or parking at the airport, or to earn cash back, in addition to any regular credit card rewards.
The airport sees it as a way to improve customer satisfaction and to try to boost revenue from passengers’ spending at concessions. The program also gives the airport a way to send messages to its diverse mix of travelers and generates information about spending patterns.
Arnaldo Ruiz, the airport’s assistant general manager for commercial development, said the process involving credit card information is protected from fraud.
