Happy New Year! 2019 Wish List

Happy New Year!!

A new year means a new wish list! Below is my 2019 wish list for the rewards world.

Note that I generally provide a mid-term report on Canada Day (July 1) and a final report on New Year’s Eve.

To be fair, all wishes need to be a win/win/win scenario for everyone involved in the transaction. This includes the rewards company, the retailer and the customer.

1) Incentives to Retain Credit Cards

Last year may be the beginning (see: AMEX SPG) of this part of the industry growing. I think that companies will continue to clamp down on churning as time goes on. So in anticipation of this shift in the industry, I want to continue to make a strong push for this wish.

If credit card companies reward spending each year, and provide enough value with that reward to justify customers ongoingly pay their annual fee, this way create more loyalty and less churning.

2) More Co-Branded Airline and Hotel Loyalty Credit Cards

2017… and again in 2018… came and went without a single new airline or hotel partnership with any credit card company. Let’s hope that 2019 will be different?

3) A Brand New Transferable Points Program

Capital One in the United States started a valuable transferable points program. Why not Canada?

4) More Progress Towards High Speed Trains

There are official governmental releases about high speed trains. Now it’s more about getting construction started. I really do believe that trains are the best way to travel, because it can get a lot of people transported in a short period of time. Not to mention that it is economically friendly!

Conclusion

I decided to keep my wish list shorter this year. Not because I want to lower expectations, but because I really want to see all of the above happen. So it’s like channeling all energy towards less things in hopes that it can happen.

But if I am going to lower expectations, I just hope one of the above happen!