IndiGo hires Nik Laming to head loyalty program as its eyes ramp up

Laming, a Singapore-based consultant with more than 30 years of experience, joins at a critical time. InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. While IndiGo, operated by , is expected to fly 124 million passengers in 2025, it faced a 2% drop in market share and a record decline in November. ₹22.2 crore fine in December following operational issues.

The hire marks a shift for IndiGo, which is scaling up its BluChip program to compete with Air India’s Maharaja Club. BluChip has gained 10 million members since its launch in September 2024; This reflects the carrier’s urgency to secure customer loyalty amid its international expansion and introduction of premium services.

This move comes as the global travel loyalty market is expected to reach $52.6 billion by 2030. For IndiGo, which recently launched business class ‘Stretch’ cabins, a robust loyalty driver has become a must to transition from a budget airline to a global contender.

“The search for a loyalty officer started 8-9 months ago and the airline was looking for a candidate who could create a program that would bring them repeat customers globally,” said an industry executive aware of the development.

The civil aviation regulatory authority, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM), has not yet published passenger traffic figures for December.

According to the above-mentioned executive, Laming was brought on board about a month ago. While Indigo is not responding MintLaming’s questions have not been answered yet MintInquiries via LinkedIn.

The fact that the airline, which has a 63.6% market share in domestic aviation, implemented its loyalty program correctly coincides with a period when 4,500 flights were canceled in the first week of December.

Building ‘Bluchips’ loyalty

The cancellation of flights came in the wake of revised pilot rest rules and night flying norms, throwing the schedule off balance. Thousands of pilots were stranded at airports following flight cancellations, forcing the government to intervene, imposing industry-wide wage caps and subsequently imposing fines on IndiGo.

After announcing its quarterly results in January, IndiGo said its loyalty program had received 10 million sign-ups. The registrations come less than 18 months after the loyalty program was launched. This has made it one of the fastest growing customer loyalty programs in the country.

“IndiGo has a simple loyalty point earning and burning program. As they look at larger international operations, they are transforming their low-cost airline image into a fit-for-purpose airline,” said Mark D. Martin, aviation expert and CEO of Gurugram-based Martin Consulting.

“This means customer loyalty programs also need to be reworked. It’s a late start now compared to a full-service carrier like Air India. The programs are also not comparable right now,” he added.

As part of the loyalty program from today, IndiGo customers must first register with the airline. They accumulate IndiGo BluChips points based on their spending on every IndiGo flight. Members receive an upgrade to the tier-based loyalty program. In a key differentiator, IndiGo said that unlike many other loyalty programs across different airlines, these loyalty points will never expire “for active members” and promised direct redemption.

For example, one user earns 8 BluChips per user. ₹$100 spent on base fare (plus fuel surcharge, if applicable) on IndiGo flights and IndiGo codeshare flights (marketed by IndiGo but operated by Turkish Airlines and Qantas). IndiGo then tied up with credit card companies, hotels and clothing companies to earn loyalty points.

According to a January report from global market analysis firm Market Glass Inc., the Travel Loyalty Programs global market was valued at $29.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $52.6 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% from 2024 to 2030.

Key takeaways

1. IndiGo has roped in Singapore-based loyalty doyen Nik Laming to professionalize its rewards division.
2. The BluChip program has reached 10 million members in less than 18 months, making it one of the fastest growing loyalty programs in India.
3. This lease signals IndiGo’s transition from a Low-Cost Carrier to a full-service airline offering premium services such as ‘Stretch’ business class.
4. The move comes at a time when IndiGo is trying to recover from a disastrous December that saw 4,500 cancellations and more than 100 cancellations. ₹22.2 crore fine.
5. IndiGo is targeting Air India’s Maharaja Club directly to secure high-yield, frequent international travelers.