73m Caribbean Miles redeemed in first quarter

Within its first three months, Caribbean Airlines' frequent-flier program saw passengers redeem more than 73 million air miles, it has been announced.

The carrier handles operations formerly undertaken by BWIA West Indies Airways, and its fliers have converted over 3,096 upgrades and reward tickets since the Caribbean Miles program was launched on January 1.

To reflect the popularity of the system, the Trinidadian carrier is offering a 20 percent discount on popular US connections with the West Indian isles to Caribbean Miles MasterCard holders.

"The numbers of miles redeemed during our first quarter is a clear indication of the success of Caribbean Miles," said Francois Pariseau, Director of Marketing at Caribbean.

"The way we have re-organized the reward rate with the possibility of redeeming miles on a one-way basis is unique in the industry and provides flexibility and value to our frequent flier members."

Since launching at the start of this year, Caribbean Airlines has also recorded a lost baggage rate considerably below the industry average.

The average US carrier lost 8.23 bags per 1,000 in February, according to Department of Transportation statistics. The Port of Spain-based airline lost 0.7 bags per 1,000 in January, 1 per 1,000 in February, and 1.6 per 1,000 in March.

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