Points Expands into Africa With New Ethiopian Airlines Agreement, Further Building Amadeus Partnership

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global leader in powering loyalty commerce, Points, (TSX:PTS) (Nasdaq:PCOM) announced today that the company has begun a new joint collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines and Amadeus. A further extension of Points’ ongoing strategic partnership with Amadeus, (which already provides loyalty capabilities to the African flag carrier), the new agreement also marks Points’ first services deployment to an African partner.
This launch will give members of Ethiopian Airlines’ ShebaMiles loyalty program access to benefits such as the ability to purchase miles online – which was previously only available offline – and the new option to gift or transfer miles to friends and family. These program enhancements will give members more control over their currency and serve to advance Ethiopian’s digital strategy.Rob MacLean, CEO of Points, commented on the news, “We are extremely pleased to be working with one of Africa’s leading carriers. Ethiopian Airlines operates one of the continent’s youngest and most efficient fleets and is renowned for the excellent customer experience they provide to their passengers together with their extensive pan-African route network. We greatly value the opportunity to work with them to strengthen their member engagement and generate more revenue from their rewards program, to ensure as many customers as possible enjoy an award-winning experience on board one of the region’s most prominent airlines. Our first African launch is a testament to our strengthening strategic partnership with Amadeus and we are excited about more to come.”Mrs. Rafael Assefa, VP Marketing, Ethiopian Airlines Group remarked, “We are pleased to launch new services through our partnership with Points. By leveraging Points’ Buy, Gift and Transfer solution in our loyalty program, we will offer our members greater flexibility, more options to earn miles and outstanding member experiences.”The new partnership will enable Ethiopian Airlines to drive more engagement within its ShebaMiles program at a time when many customers are travelling less due to the pandemic. In addition, it will offer the carrier a significant uplift in revenue generated from the rewards program.Rob MacLean added, “Despite the fact many people have changed their travel habits during 2020 due to COVID-19, we’ve seen that buying miles as a means to plan for future travel has remained an attractive proposition for many.”Being able to offer members a personalized online experience, including sophisticated mileage purchasing promotions, will be key when ensuring ongoing engagement with the program. Additional loyalty retailing capabilities to improve the overall member experience even further are also being planned for the near future.Nicola Arnese, Director of Customer Loyalty Solutions for Airlines at Amadeus said, “This new agreement between Points and Ethiopian Airlines is a testament to the importance of loyalty in these trying times. Together with Amadeus’ loyalty technology and data, the airline will be able to boost engagement with travelers with a more personalized offer and unlock additional revenue. This deal also reconfirms the value of our platform approach which natively connects airlines with best-of-breed partners such as Points in a simple and powerful way. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Points in the coming months as the industry recovers and loyalty becomes increasingly important.”For more information on Points’ Loyalty Commerce Platform, visit Points.com. For more information on Amadeus Loyalty Management, visit https://amadeus.com/en/portfolio/airlines/loyalty-management.About Ethiopian Airlines GroupEthiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to 127 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Six business units: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award-winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.Email: CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com
Tel: (251-11)517-8913/165/529
Web: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/et
Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EthiopianAirlines
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flyethiopian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fly.ethiopian/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/48846/admin/
Telegram: https://t.me/ethiopian_airlines
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EthiopianairlinescomAbout Points InternationalPoints, (TSX: PTS) (NASDAQ: PCOM) is a trusted partner to the world’s leading loyalty programs, leveraging its unique Loyalty Commerce Platform to build, power, and grow a network of ways members can get and use their favourite loyalty currency. Our platform combines insights, technology, and resources to make the movement of loyalty currency simpler and more intelligent for nearly 60 reward programs worldwide. Founded in 2000, Points is headquartered in Toronto with teams operating around the globe.For more information, visit Points.com.POINTS CONTACTPoints Media Relations
Rachel Goldrick
pr@points.com
+1 416 454 7120