Enacting novel agencements: the case of Frequent Flyer schemes in the US airline industry (1981–1991)

Abstract

After the deregulation of the US market for air travel in 1978, incumbent airlines sought to find their feet in a challenging new commercial reality. A major initiative was the creation of so-called Frequent Flyer Programs (FFPs), which quickly became a standard tool for airline marketing. We analyze the introduction and subsequent development of these FFPs as a process of agencing resulting in multiple and novel market agencements. We explain how the apparent success of the FFPs resulted from a series of parallel and complementary investments that went far beyond the airlines setting up their own loyalty programs. These investments contributed to reshuffle the agencies involved, not only by giving birth to the “Frequent Flyer” category but also by introducing new agential capacities for the airlines, travelers, travel agents and corporate customers of air travel. The paper concludes with reflections on how our empirical case can help us understand the evolutionary dynamics of agencing efforts and the resulting agencements.