Airmiles defends closure of dormant accounts

Airmiles is risking angering customers of the loyalty scheme with a plan to close the accounts of dormant collectors who do not add to their Airmiles in the next six months.

Airmiles, owned by British Airways, is telling 1.7 million customers who have not collected any Airmiles in the past two years they must demonstrate some activity or their accounts will be closed.

A spokesman for the loyalty scheme says that only one Airmile has to be collected and as Airmiles has partnerships with more than 150 brands, including Tesco, John Lewis and eBay, it should be easy to do.

She adds that the company has always retained the right to vary the terms and conditions of the time limit on Airmiles collection and expenditure.

Airmiles launched a new advertising campaign last month created by Partners Andrews Aldridge.

It recently promoted Andrea Burchett to the position of director of relationships and insight. Previous marketer Sarah Wood left the company to join Waitrose as head of marketing communications.