On Oct. 20, 2026, Comarch Loyalty announced a major overhaul of AZAL Miles, the frequent flyer program for Azerbaijan Airlines. This partnership represents a significant shift in how the airline engages with its passengers, moving away from traditional distance-based reward systems toward a modern fintech model. By implementing the Comarch Loyalty platform, Azerbaijan Airlines is tying status miles directly to ticket spend, transforming the loyalty experience into a dynamic digital wallet.

The Evolution of AZAL Miles: From Distance to Spend

The transition from distance-based rewards to a spend-based model reflects a broader trend in the aviation industry, where airlines seek to align loyalty rewards more closely with customer financial contributions. Under the new architecture designed by Comarch Loyalty, AZAL Miles rewards passengers based on the actual value of their ticket purchases. This shift ensures that high-value customers are recognized and rewarded proportionally to their spending, optimizing the airline's revenue-generation capabilities while offering a more transparent reward structure for travelers.

Fintech Integration and the Digital Wallet Model

Beyond changing how miles are accumulated, the collaboration introduces advanced fintech capabilities that turn the AZAL app into a versatile digital wallet. This integration allows passengers to use their accumulated miles for both travel-related expenses and everyday spending, bridging the gap between airline loyalty and daily consumer habits.

QR Scanning and Non-Airline Partner Ecosystems

To facilitate everyday utility, Comarch Loyalty integrated a QR scanner directly into the AZAL mobile application. This feature enables program members to earn and spend miles across a diverse network of non-airline partners. By scanning QR codes at checkout, passengers can seamlessly interact with businesses across various sectors, expanding the utility of their miles beyond flights. This infrastructure connects the airline's loyalty program with local and international merchants, creating a robust ecosystem that drives daily engagement.

The Cash+Miles Payment Module

Another key feature of the updated platform is the deployment of the “Cash+Miles” payment module. This system allows passengers to split transactions between cash and accumulated miles directly at checkout. By offering the flexibility to combine payment methods, Azerbaijan Airlines lowers the barrier to redemption, enabling members to utilize their miles even if they do not have enough to cover the full cost of a ticket or service.

Third-Party API Connections and Ride-Hailing Integration

The modern architecture of the Comarch Loyalty platform is built to support direct third-party API connections. This capability allows Azerbaijan Airlines to rapidly expand its partner network and integrate external services directly into the member experience.

A primary example of this API-driven flexibility is the recent integration with Bolt, a prominent ride-hailing platform. Through this connection, passengers can exchange their accumulated miles for ride-hailing vouchers directly within their AZAL Miles accounts. This integration demonstrates how airline loyalty can extend into ground transportation, providing a seamless end-to-end travel experience for passengers.

Backend Automation and Lifecycle Management

On the backend, the Comarch Loyalty automation engine manages the entire lifecycle of the AZAL Miles program. This automation reduces the need for manual oversight by airline staff while ensuring highly personalized and timely interactions with members. Key automated initiatives managed by the engine include:

  • Issuing Welcome Miles to incentivize new user registrations.
  • Distributing annual Birthday Miles to celebrate member milestones.
  • Deploying targeted promo codes to specific user segments based on behavior and preferences.

By automating these processes, the airline can maintain continuous engagement with its member base, delivering relevant rewards and incentives at key touchpoints throughout the customer journey.

Comarch Loyalty's Global Footprint and AI Capabilities

As the technological partner for the AZAL Miles program, Comarch Loyalty brings extensive global experience to the collaboration. The company is a global leader in AI-driven loyalty solutions, powering high-scale B2B, B2C, and coalition programs.

Comarch Loyalty's global operations include:

  • Supporting more than 1.3 billion members worldwide.
  • Operating across over 50 countries on 6 continents.
  • Running more than 150 active loyalty projects.
  • Integrating seamlessly with over 2,000 partners.
  • Processing 15 billion loyalty-related transactions annually.

The platform features an advanced Agentic AI layer that proactively monitors program health, allows marketers to build campaigns and extract data insights using plain language, and predicts customer behavior to deliver the Next Best Offer. Additionally, the platform utilizes AI Loyalty Guard for real-time fraud detection, helping iconic brands maximize Customer Lifetime Value and profitability. Comarch Loyalty's technology is trusted by major global brands, including BP, Ford, Heathrow, JetBlue, and Deutsche Bahn.

Through this scalable architecture, Comarch Loyalty provides Azerbaijan Airlines with the tools needed to drive its ambitions, create new opportunities for members, and offer highly personalized services.