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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Flyers face losing their Airmiles | Flyers face losing their Airmiles |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Travellers face losing all their Airmiles if they fail to collect at least one in the next six months, the firm behind the scheme has admitted. | Travellers face losing all their Airmiles if they fail to collect at least one in the next six months, the firm behind the scheme has admitted. |
| Airmiles is writing to 1.7m customers who have not collected any in the last two years, warning their accounts will be closed if they miss the deadline. | Airmiles is writing to 1.7m customers who have not collected any in the last two years, warning their accounts will be closed if they miss the deadline. |
| The firm said the measure was covered by its terms and conditions. | The firm said the measure was covered by its terms and conditions. |
| But Simon Calder, the Independent's travel editor, said it was akin to banks closing savers' current accounts. | But Simon Calder, the Independent's travel editor, said it was akin to banks closing savers' current accounts. |
| 'Extensive research' | 'Extensive research' |
| Under the loyalty scheme, shoppers collect Airmiles when they purchase goods and services, and can redeem them as flights. | Under the loyalty scheme, shoppers collect Airmiles when they purchase goods and services, and can redeem them as flights. |
| Some six million people in the UK hold an account, but the company admitted it had set a time limit in January. That's a bit like having a bank account where you're told, 'Ah, well, you haven't put any money in it for a couple of years so we've closed it down and kept your money.' Simon CalderThe Independent | Some six million people in the UK hold an account, but the company admitted it had set a time limit in January. That's a bit like having a bank account where you're told, 'Ah, well, you haven't put any money in it for a couple of years so we've closed it down and kept your money.' Simon CalderThe Independent |
| The 1.7 million customers who will receive a letter from the firm have all accrued more that 500 Airmiles but failed to collect any more in the past 24 months. | The 1.7 million customers who will receive a letter from the firm have all accrued more that 500 Airmiles but failed to collect any more in the past 24 months. |
| Mr Calder told the BBC: "That's a bit like having a bank account where you're told, 'Ah, well, you haven't put any money in it for a couple of years so we've closed it down and kept your money.'" | Mr Calder told the BBC: "That's a bit like having a bank account where you're told, 'Ah, well, you haven't put any money in it for a couple of years so we've closed it down and kept your money.'" |
| But a spokeswoman for the company said that a major television advertising campaign about the benefits of the scheme had been launched, and insisted that the majority of members who regularly collected Airmiles did not have to do anything. | |
| She said thousands of customers had responded by collecting Airmiles again. | She said thousands of customers had responded by collecting Airmiles again. |