Singapore Airlines is to develop a blockchain-based digital loyalty wallet for frequent flyers in collaboration with retail partners.
The first-of-its-kind lifestyle digital wallet app for an airline loyalty programme will be enabled through blockchain technology, using an SIA-owned private blockchain involving only merchants and partners.
It will allow the members of SIA's KrisFlyer frequent flyer programme to use ‘digital KrisFlyer miles’ for point-of-sale transactions at participating retail merchants.
Plans to roll out the app in the next six months follow on from a successful proof-of-concept exercise carried out in collaboration with KPMG Digital Village and Microsoft,
SIA is not the only airline dabbling in blockchain and cryoptocurrency. Just last week Brisbane airport announced that it had teamed up with TravelbyBit and several retailers based in its terminals - including Botanist, Spoon and Australian Way - to let people pay with Bitcoin, Dash, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.