FCm Travel Solutions is launching the first loyalty program designed specifically for travel bookers in Hong Kong’s corporate travel sector, following the strong success of the ‘FCm Advantage’ program in mainland China. The program, which rewards travel bookers for making all purchases through FCm, has measurably improved the travel management practices of its clients in other areas of China, where it was introduced two years ago.

FCm’s general manager Greater China, David Fraser, said FCm Advantage would be extended into Hong Kong after clients in mainland China had doubled their travel consolidation as a result of the program. “FCm Advantage has benefitted our clients on two levels, while becoming a powerful system to drive business growth for FCm,” he said. “Our clients are seeing increased cost efficiencies because their travel bookers are consolidating all activity through just one consultancy, and bookers are being rewarded for better travel practices.

“By transacting everything through FCm and accessing the rates we can negotiate with suppliers based on volume, our clients are saving on their overall travel costs. They also have the advantage of being able to track and control their expenditure, monitor the effectiveness of their travel policy, and locate their travellers in an emergency, because all their data is held centrally with one travel management company. So we see the program not only as a loyalty system, but as a change management tool that is helping improve the way our clients are managing their business travel.”

FCm Advantage is an interactive, web-based program that provides individual rewards to travel bookers, who often include personal assistants and secretaries. For each booking they make with FCm, they earn ‘reward points’. Once they have accrued enough points to receive a reward, they can select their gift from the FCm Advantage online catalogue.

The rewards catalogue includes an extensive range of items, from homewares, to cosmetics and fragrances, to electronic products such as iPods. Travel bookers select the reward of their choice online, and FCm manages the fulfilment and delivery of that item. Points are then deducted from the loyalty member’s tally, and they can begin to accrue new points with every new FCm booking they make.

Mr Fraser said he was confident FCm Advantage would be equally successful in Hong Kong. “The corporate travel market in Hong Kong is more mature than in other parts of China, as we are often dealing with larger companies or those with multinational operations. The travel booker market here is also highly retail oriented in their lifestyle, so we are anticipating the program to be well received by our clients here.”