​Qantas announces nib health insurance partnership as part of new loyalty program rollout

Qantas has partnered with NIB to offer Frequent Flyer members a new raft of health insurance benefits as part of its new Qantas Assure program.

The new program forms part of the growing Qantas Loyalty suite of businesses and is set to reward people with Qantas Points for being active when it launched in the first half of 2016. It will also feature travel insurance under the same umbrella.

Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, announced wearable technology will also have a key role in rewarding members for increases in levels of physical activity.

“This is not about simply earning points when you pay a bill,” he said. “It’s about offering members the opportunity to be rewarded for being more active, which is something that also has a direct impact on improving your wellness.”

According to Joyce, Qantas Loyalty has evolved beyond a typical airline rewards program to something that influences the purchasing decisions of millions of people through highly sought after Qantas Points.

Read more: Qantas customer loyalty program chalks up record result

“Qantas Loyalty has shown it knows how to attract, reward and retain members for their choice of airline, credit card or retailer,” Joyce claimed. “By partnering with nib, we believe there is a huge opportunity to do the same thing in the $19 billion private health insurance market and drive significant growth for the Loyalty business.”

Qantas Assure is targeting 2-3 per cent share of the Australian private health insurance market in a revenue basis in its first five years.

CEO of Qantas Loyalty, Lesley Grant, claimed the idea behind the new program arose from members calling for rewards for leading a more active lifestyle.

“They want to feel more engaged in the health insurance experience rather than just paying their monthly premium or making a claim,” she said. “When members combine the Qantas points they can earn from literally walking around the block with all the other ways to earn, it becomes a very powerful proposition.”

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