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Last week, on a flight to Dubai from Delhi, I spent almost five hours watching the departure time move. The flight was supposed to leave at 11:45 a.m. It finally took off at 4:30 p.m.

The delay was frustrating, of course. But what was more frustrating was not knowing when we would actually leave. Every time the departure time changed, you found yourself recalculating the day — the airport transfer, the plans at the other end, the dinner meeting, everything.

Which is why Cleartrip’s new Elite loyalty program struck a chord.

We’ve traditionally thought of loyalty in travel as points, miles, upgrades and discounts. But maybe a little peace of mind is what travelers value just as much, or sometimes even more.

Cleartrip’s INR 9 domestic flight date-change feature is meant to ease one of the biggest worries travelers have — that their plans might change, and changing the booking could sometimes cost more than the original ticket.

Maybe the next generation of travel loyalty isn’t about giving us more after we book. Maybe it’s about giving us a little less to worry about before we do.viation Forum

Profitability, capacity, AI, loyalty: the questions that set aviation's agenda for the year get argued out in one room, in one day.

The CEOs of International Airlines Group, Breeze Airways, and Los Angeles World Airports are among the first confirmed for the 6th annual Skift Aviation Forum, November 12 at TWA Hotel, JFK.

CLARITYPAY + SKIFT

On Airline Weekly Lounge, ClarityPay CEO Houman Motaharian explains how its JetBlue partnership could turn financing into a loyalty engine.

EDITOR’S PICKS

IndiGo’s Low Fares Remain. The Extras Are Getting Pricier

by Peden Doma Bhutia
September 18, 2026

The commercial challenge for IndiGo is how much more it can monetize the passenger without making a low-cost airline feel less low-cost?

Cleartrip’s New Loyalty Program Is About Reducing ‘Travel Anxiety’

by Peden Doma Bhutia
September 17, 2026

Cleartrip’s Elite program is less about big perks and more about knowing its travelers better. That could be the bigger prize for an OTA.

Accor Considers More Deals in India After Treebo Partnership Ends

by Peden Doma Bhutia
September 16, 2026

With the Treebo deal off, Accor may have to turn to an acquisition to replace the scale it lost and speed its path to 300 hotels in India.

SKIFT TRAVEL 200

How are airlines performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.