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Airmiles' celebrates birthday with TV ad campaign, 21,000 miles giveaway and record growth

October 2009 , Airmiles, the UK’s leading travel reward scheme operated by The Mileage Company, turns 21 and celebrates with a major TV and digital ad. campaign and bonanza Airmiles giveaway.

The campaign, featuring the brand’s familiar animated characters, will run for five weeks from Saturday 12 October 2009, across terrestrial, digital and satellite channels. The TV ad communicates the simplicity of the Airmiles scheme and its free flights offer, whilst the digital ads highlight the many other leisure activities Airmiles can be used for, like Eurostar journeys and special days out.

Airmiles' members also have the chance to win 21,000 Airmiles, enough for two free return flights from London to Australia, including airline taxes, fees and surcharges. The prize draw is open from Saturday 12 October to Monday 2 November for all members when they shop online with any one of 21 specially chosen partner retailers on Airmiles’ eStore, via www.airmiles.co.uk . Any member who collects at least one Airmile through their purchase will automatically be entered into the prize draw to win the Airmiles giveaway. Members can also enter by making any booking with Airmiles, either online or by calling Airmiles' UK Customer Contact Centre. As well as the grand prize, there are also 21 runners up prizes, for members to win a case of champagne.

Airmiles’ twenty first year has seen new joiners increase by 300% over the twelve-month period, collecting more Airmiles with key partners Lloyds TSB, Tesco and Shell.

Andrea Burchett, Director of Relationship Marketing and Insight, The Mileage Company says: "This year has been one of our biggest ever, with high profile campaigns and a record number of new collectors, but it’s no time to rest on our laurels. Airmiles was founded during the last recession and 21 years on we’ve come full circle; free stuff is as important to consumers now as it was back then, particularly for our core customer base who love to travel.

“As consumers tighten their belts we need to remind them that they can carry on doing the things they love by collecting rewards through everyday behaviour and spending."

The UK’s longest running and most rewarding scheme of its kind, Airmiles members collect and use Airmiles for travel and leisure rewards.

A pioneering scheme, it is synonymous with offering value – for members and collection partners.

Airmiles' collection partners include Lloyds TSB, Tesco, Shell and over 200 popular online brands when accessed via airmiles.co.uk eStore – including johnlewis.com, debenhams.com, Apple store, eBay.co.uk, Comet, Currys, Boden, hmv.com and Waterstone’s.

Millions of members collect Airmiles on their everyday spending and use them for completely free flights that include all airline taxes, fees and surcharges, Eurostar journeys, hotel accommodation, tour operator holidays, car hire, travel insurance and special days out including LegoLand, Alton Towers and English Heritage Annual Passes.

Airmiles www.airmiles.co.uk, the UK’s leading travel rewards scheme offers UK consumers the chance to collect more Airmiles than ever before when they book a holiday or cruise via Airmiles with many of the leading tour operator and cruise companies through January until 8 February 2010.

For the first time UK consumers can collect one Airmile* for every £1 they spend on a holiday or cruise with companies** like Kuoni, Thomson Holidays, ITC Classics, P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean to destinations world-wide including the Caribbean, Far East (for Winter sun) or skiing in USA, Europe or Canada.

For example, spend £1500 or £750 per person on a holiday or cruise to get enough miles for two free flights, ie. 750 Airmiles for flights from London to Airmiles Zone One destinations like Amsterdam, Brussels and Dublin, and on Eurostar.

To take advantage of the offer, consumers need to book through the Airmiles UK Customer Contact Centre on telephone 0844 49 333 49 (this offer is not available to book via the Airmiles web site) and pay using a credit or debit card.*** You can collect even more Airmiles by using a Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Credit Card account.*****

The promotion is available to all UK consumers – current Airmiles members and new members. The offer is available through January to 8 February 2010. In addition, there is no ‘travel by’ date and no spend threshold for each booking.

Andrea Burchett from Airmiles, says: “This is the first time we have offered one Airmile for every £1 spent on holidays with leading tour operators and cruise companies to all UK consumers who collect Airmiles. Everyone is getting savvier with their money and we all appreciate a good deal. This promotion offers great value and gives existing and new Airmiles members the chance to collect miles for a bonus free holiday when they book their trips.”

Anyone can join Airmiles. It’s easy. Sign up now visit www.airmiles.co.uk.

When you're collecting Airmiles, as well as tour operator holidays and cruises, you can use them for completely free flights that include all taxes, fees and surcharges, Eurostar journeys and days out like Legoland, Alton Towers, English Heritage Annual memberships and theatre tickets.

About Airmiles www.airmiles.co.uk

Millions of members collect Airmiles on their everyday spending and use them for completely free flights that include all airline taxes, fees and surcharges, Eurostar journeys, hotel accommodation, tour operator holidays, cruises, car hire, travel insurance and special days out including Legoland, Alton Towers and English Heritage Annual Membership passes.

You can collect Airmiles using a Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Credit Card account, through Tesco, Shell and over 200 popular online brands when accessed via airmiles.co.uk eStore – including johnlewis.com, debenhams.com, Apple store, eBay.co.uk, Comet, Currys, Boden, hmv.com and Waterstone’s.

Call the Airmiles UK Customer Contact Centre on 0844 49 333 49 to take advantage of this promotion.

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Note to editor:

* Benefit already available to Lloyds customers with value added accounts
**Standard offer on a £5 spend is one Airmile back
***Credit card fees apply
****Approx. 40 Tour Operators including: Thomson Holidays, Kuoni, ITC Classics, Thomas Cook, Butlins, Haven and Warner Holidays, Keycamp, First Choice and Inghams. For more information on tour operators: www.airmiles.co.uk/holidays. Cruise companies include: Royal Caribbean International, P&O Cruises and Cunard
***** Collect up to one Airmile for every £10 spent on the Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo American Express card and up to one Airmile for every £50 spent on Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo MasterCard

Terms and conditions for promotion:

• Only available to book via Airmiles's UK Customer Contact Centre on telephone 0844 49 333 49 using a credit or debit card (credit card fees apply)
• Customers need to book by 08 February to benefit from this promotion
• Airmiles will be given for every holiday booked – unless the consumer got money off by using Airmiles.
• Airmiles are added to the customer’s account within 28 days of the customer’s return journey
• Collecting Airmiles means that you have had at least 1 mile credited to your account in the preceding 12 months, all other members will be charged a £30 administration fee when using Airmiles to make a booking
• All bookings are subject to availability and Airmiles Customer and Booking Terms and Conditions

Brits are planning to spend a massive £10.5 billion* plus on their Christmas presents alone this year, that’s an average of almost £300 each. A further one in ten (10%) of us are predicting it’ll be more like £500, reveals new research** from Airmiles, the UK's leading travel rewards scheme.

Interestingly, the continuing recession doesn’t mean everyone will be tightening their festive purse strings, as while a third (34%) admit their expenditure will be less than last year’s, over half (53%) are happy to treat their loved ones as they did in 2008.

Whether purchasing presents, food and drink or household items, 57% of shoppers are planning to be savvy spenders by collecting loyalty scheme rewards along the way. With total Christmas spending amounting to over £450, consumers could collect 365 Airmiles*** – that’s almost half way to a free flight, Eurostar journey or a free family attraction like London Zoo and Madame Tussauds.

With almost £300 going on gifts this year, the rest of the average spending breaks down as follows: nearly £120 spent on food and drinks and just over £50 spent on big ticket items for the home such as furniture, kitchen equipment or electrical items

Financial expert and editor of the consumer finance website CashQuestions.com, Annie Shaw, comments: “It’s good news that more than half those surveyed feel confident enough this Christmas to spend as much on their families and friends as last year and that many of those who need to cut back are going to do it by shopping smartly, rather than being less generous or not enjoying themselves.

“Savvy shopping means making the most of spending and that includes collecting loyalty rewards. If you are buying a lot of presents or festive goodies, you can collect a lot of rewards in a short space of time and then use them for an extra special treat for yourself like a free flight or family day out.”

Fred Prego from Airmiles says: “In these tough times everyone needs to make their money work harder, and get something back with every penny spent. You can easily collect Airmiles on your Christmas present shopping via the 200 retailers on our online eStore, which is good news for the 66% of people who are planning to avoid the high street rush and shop online. Even shopping for your Christmas roast dinner will help to get you on your way to a free flight, Eurostar journey or special day out at the UK’s top attractions.”

For one in five shoppers who plan to get their presents online is to collect rewards.

Airmiles can be collected with the Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Credit Card account, as well as through supermarket shopping at Tesco and exchanging clubcard vouchers, or through the hundreds of big brand retailers on Airmiles’ eStore (www.airmiles.co.uk/estore). This is good news for the 66% of shoppers who are planning to avoid the high street rush and get their presents online.

*Calculated as £291.37 x 36,471,400 (the total number of UK adults aged between 18-65)
**3,000 respondents surveyed by One Poll between 21.10.09-26.10.09, aged between 18-65
*** Based on spending £250 at Tesco where you can earn Double Clubcard points = 120 miles (60 miles for every £2.50 voucher); spending the remaining £200 pounds at Game (or one of selected  eStore merchants that has a double miles rate of £2 for 2 miles when spending £60 in one transaction) = 200 miles. Using the Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo American Express card at both = 45 miles. Total = 365.

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Airmiles www.airmiles.co.uk

The UK’s longest running and most rewarding scheme of its kind, Airmiles members collect Airmiles for travel and leisure rewards.

Collect Airmiles with the Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo Credit Card account, shopping at Tesco, filling up with fuel at Shell Service Stations and shop online with over 200 popular online brands when accessed via airmiles.co.uk eStore – including johnlewis.com, debenhams.com, Apple store, eBay.co.uk, Comet, Currys, Boden, hmv.com and Waterstone’s.

Millions of members collect Airmiles on their everyday spending and use them for completely free flights that include all airline taxes, fees and surcharges, Eurostar journeys, hotel accommodation, tour operator holidays, car hire, travel insurance and special days out including Alton Towers, Legoland and English Heritage Annual Passes.

All bookings are subject to availability.