Limo Co. Spurs Loyalty

A ground transportation provider has launched a loyalty program for corporate clients--an unusual move for such a company.

Ground transportation firms are the only ones in the travel industry that do not offer air mileage tie-ins, and few offer points that can be cashed in for rides.

The firm, a local provider called Connecticut Limo, unveiled a Premium Corporate Program that earns members five points for every trip segment. Once they have accumulated 40 points, they can trade them in for a free segment. Members receive a quarterly statement, and in the near future they will be able to use the points for discounts at hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, according to Geri Brown, director of sales and marketing. Connecticut Limo hopes to encode the membership cards with a magnetic strip, enabling customers to swipe the card upon boarding.

The firm has accounts with 22 corporations. Its fleet of 140 vehicles includes sedans, limousines and 17-passenger vans. It has developed a flourishing business in regularly scheduled airport runs and recently expanded its service to the three New York-area airports to include T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island and Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. The company even has its own "air terminals" with parking facilities, in Norwalk, Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Danbury.

The service, which uses vans equipped with cell phones and, in some cases, complimentary newspapers, saves companies from 20 to 30 percent off what they'd pay for rental cars, Brown said.