ATPCO, the airline fare and data platform, announced the introduction of its new UTA (Universal Ticket Attribute) category, Loyalty Rewards. Designed to empower travelers, according to the announcement, the Loyalty Rewards UTA highlights potential mileage accrual benefits at the time of shopping.

Award travel and mileage accrual, said the announcement, are critical deciding factors in a shopper’s booking decisions. By offering clear visibility into these benefits, said the announcement, the new Routehappy attribute enhances transparency, allowing flight shoppers to make more informed choices while optimizing their loyalty earnings. Routehappy is ATPCO’s solution that provides airline-approved merchandising content for flight shopping.

Darie Dreptate, director of strategy at ATPCO, said, “Loyalty is the cornerstone of the airline-customer relationship, and the Loyalty Rewards UTA gives airlines a powerful way to showcase their value to passengers.” By providing travelers with clear, accessible information about mileage accrual, he said, “we are not only enhancing the flight shopping experience, but also helping airlines drive retention and upsell opportunities.”

The launch, said the announcement, addresses a critical gap in the current UTA category framework and was a requested enhancement from many of ATPCO’s industry partners. Previously, loyalty rewards were not prominently represented, leading to missed opportunities for airlines to engage travelers with the potential benefits tied to their purchases. Without clear visibility into mileage accrual, said the announcement, customers can feel less connected to airlines and less likely to remain loyal.