Want a discount as you travel? Opt for privilege card

Leisure & Travel Guides East Africa Limited offers a privilege card, Go Places, which allows holders to enjoy discounts from five to 30 per cent in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The discounts can be enjoyed in hotels, lodges, domestic airlines, boutiques, salons and chemists among other outlets.

Mombasa Air Safari (MAS), a domestic airline based in Mombasa, is the most recent company to join in.

Privilege card members will enjoy a 10 per cent discount on air tickets booked on the airline which serves Mombasa and other destinations at the Coast as well as popular reserves.

Card holders have to present the document in participating establishments to be eligible for discounts.

Privilege cards are common in the travel industry and are used to help create a loyalty to certain establishments or destinations.

The Republic of Croatia has the Adriatic Privilege Card that can be used all over the Adriatic, which lies between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula.

The card, which targets holiday makers, is valid for 10 days starting with the day of purchase and one gets to enjoy 10 to 50 per cent on various services in the region.

Other destinations like Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines have privilege card offers too.

The programmes in these countries are run by tourism bodies.

Unlike loyalty programmes where customers are rewarded according to their spend, in this case all one has to do is buy a privilege card.

It costs an annual fee of Sh2,000 in Kenya to enjoy the privileges and one can sign up at local supermarkets, bookstores or the company’s website.

In Kenya, loyalty programmes are more common especially in the aviation and hospitality business, where one is rewarded points every time one spends.

Though the rewards are not necessarily huge, one reaps the benefits in the long run as being rewarded for spending comes close to getting the best price, a discount, in the market.

Kenyans have become accustomed to being rewarded for their loyalty by various products and retail outlets.

The retail industry has been in the forefront of marketing the cards to their shoppers.

Outlets like Nakumatt, Tuskys, Uchumi and Chandarana have the cards and reward their clients accordingly.

Mobile phone service providers also have loyalty programmes that allow customers to reap airtime and mobile phones as rewards.

The aviation sector is widely regarded as the front-runner in the loyalty scheme market, with the frequent flier mileage programmes.

Travellers can redeem their acquired miles for an upgrade to a premium cabin, to use the first class lounge, make purchases or even get an air ticket depending on the airline.

So, next time you book your air ticket or want an evening out to your favourite restaurant — why not ensure you are either a member of their loyalty programme or can enjoy a discount with the privilege card?

Go out there and get a discount or rewards.

Loyalty cards allow for companies to track how customers consume their products, how they buy and pay — this information helps tailor merchandise to customer need.