American Airlines created the first major airline loyalty program in 1981 as a way to compete for customers post-deregulation. But today these programs are the industry norm, having transformed into billions of dollar businesses with legs outside the aviation industry. The AAdvantage loyalty program has even become a business in its own right with airlines selling miles to banks, and was followed by similar programs with United, Delta, Southwest, and more.
WSJ breaks down how American Airlines created the program that changed the way the world flies.
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