Skift Take

While a new branding campaign by Wyndham may foreshadow some turbulence ahead for the hotel group, on the surface it will make it easier to find and book network hotels.

Finding and booking rooms within the Wyndham Rewards family of hotels is about to get easier thanks to a branding campaign on which the company is about to embark. Skift’s Deanna Ting reports that 12 of the brand’s 20 chains will soon be updated to include “Wyndham” in the brand names.

Targeted chains include Super 8, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, and Ramada, though it’s still not clear how the name Wyndham will fit precisely into each brand.

Wyndham’s move is part of a broader campaign to align the company’s hotel chains better with its flagship brand as the entire group is packaged for a potential spin-off. But there are loyalty and consumer sentiment factors in play too. Better alignment across chains helps get consumers educated about the scope of Wyndham’s reach, and the constant brand reminder will help frequent travelers identify and book network hotels. In short, it should now be easier to find a place to earn and spend Wyndham points – even if the ownership, at some point, changes hands.

For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @grantkmartin.

— Grant Martin, Business of Loyalty Editor

Skift Stories and More Expert Insight

Delta’s Basic Economy Push Is Paying Off: Delta Air Lines has been chugging along over the last year, steadily growing revenue while experimenting with basic economy fares. The first quarter of 2018 was no different, with the airline beating estimates despite increased costs.

British Airways Parent Looking at Buying Norwegian: British Airways-owner IAG has built up a 4.61 percent stake in rival Norwegian and wants to start discussions about a potential takeover offer.

Trump’s Name May Be Losing Its Luster at His Hotels: Donald Trump’s hotel company looked set for a major expansion across the U.S. in the early months of his presidency. A top executive spoke of two dozen U.S. cities under consideration and 39 signed letters of intent. These days, the business appears stalled.

Qatar Airways Takes a Stake in a Small California-Based Airline: Less than a year after Qatar Airways was rebuffed in an attempt buy a minority share of American Airlines, the Gulf carrier has won a much smaller prize, a slice of a California-based company called JetSuite backed by JetBlue that has been dabbling in the airline business.

Investment Fund Mulls Selling Stake in London’s Gatwick Airport: Investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners is considering the sale of its 42 percent stake in London’s Gatwick Airport, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Google Wants to Enter Aviation’s Broadband Wi-Fi Business: Google is in talks to acquire Nokia Oyj’s airplane broadband business as the Alphabet Inc. unit seeks to tap into new services and reach more users by offering in-flight high-speed internet, people familiar with the matter said.

Qantas Sells Catering Division to Focus on Premium Long-Haul Business: Qantas Airways Ltd. agreed to sell its catering division to an Emirates Group business to divert cash to areas such as premium lounges and ultra long-haul routes.

To Fly, To Go Basic: British Airways Launches Its Basic Fare Range: British Airways has followed through with a plan to launch basic fares, with the new fares being formally launched on Wednesday.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Is a Gem Hiding in Plain Sight: If there’s one program that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, it just might be Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

SUBSCRIBE

Skift Business of Loyalty Editor Grant Martin [[email protected]] curates the Skift Business of Loyalty newsletter. Skift emails the newsletter every Monday.

Subscribe to Skift’s Free Business of Loyalty Newsletter

smartphone

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: loyalty, wyndham, wyndham rewards

Photo credit: The Wyndham Rewards Wyzard appears in the TV ads. Wyndham Hotel Group / Wyndham

Up Next

Loading next stories