A member-friendly change with a cost attached
HawaiianMiles members once had to earn or redeem miles within 18 months or lose them. The rule helped manage financial risk, but it frustrated the very members the program was built to reward. Hawaiian Airlines’ loyalty team wanted to end it.
Expiring miles meant less liability for the airline, but it created friction for the customers they wanted to keep coming back.
A partner fluent in loyalty and finance
The HawaiianMiles team knew they needed to change the expiration policy but needed thoughtful strategic support to get the job done. As the only actuarial firm dedicated exclusively to loyalty, KYROS worked as an extension of Hawaiian’s team, between loyalty, finance, and accounting.
What we did together
- Modeled the change to measure its impact from liability and P&L to customer lifetime value.
- Built the case with finance and accounting, weighing short- and long-term value together.
- Ran a targeted win-back campaign, using A/B tests and refined messaging to reach lapsed members.
The Results
01
A member-friendly change, approved on evidence.
With the cost and benefit modeled side by side, leadership signed off, and Hawaiian Airlines rolled out a no-expiration policy for HawaiianMiles.
02
A liability impact finance could see in advance.
The finance team saw how ending expiration would move the liability, the P&L forecast, and customer lifetime value in advance of their launch.
03
More members coming back.
Active membership and engagement rose after the change. The win-back campaign then brought lapsed members back, with more reactivations, more members redeeming, and an immediate lift in revenue.
Proof that brought finance along
Hawaiian’s loyalty team didn’t have to win the argument on faith. The finance team saw the cost and benefit side by side, and the partnership carried on into the win-back work.
The loyalty team always knew members would reward the change. Now they had the math to prove it.
