In recent years, a noticeable shift has occurred in the airline industry, where airlines are focusing more on their financial services than their core transportation business. Airlines are just banks now, leveraging loyalty programs, credit cards, and partnerships with financial institutions to boost their revenues. The emphasis on frequent flier miles and co-branded credit cards allows airlines to profit from transactions long before a passenger ever boards a flight. This prevalent trend indicates that airlines prefer establishing monetary connections with their clients rather than creating truly unforgettable travel experiences due to the fact that loyalty schemes and financial agreements bring in a lot of money while costing little to operate.

This change has changed the way airlines see their clientele. Rather than seeing travelers solely as passengers, airlines are just banks now, treating frequent fliers as long-term financial investments. With miles and points turning into a form of currency, airlines have adopted banking strategies to keep customers locked into their ecosystems. Hence, airlines have moved their focus from upscale in-flight service provision to fostering ground-based financial loyalty which underscores the industry’s transformation into a profitable entity via methods similar to banking operations.