Why Is No One Talking About Saving Money At The Airport With Club Avolta?

Editor's note: Why Is No One Talking About This? is a series where I look at under-the-radar credit cards, redemptions, and other points and miles topics that are often overlooked by other blogs. A new issue is out every Monday and Friday.

Even those of us who head straight to the lounge before a flight still end up at Hudson News. Whether it's that oh-so-good pre-flight Diet Coke, a new book, or a forgotten iPhone charger, most of us spend more at airport shops than we care to admit.

Interestingly, many airport shops — especially those under the Hudson News brand — are owned by Hudson Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Avolta AG. And Avolta runs a quietly useful loyalty program called Club Avolta that's worth two minutes of your time if you fly often.

The free program gives you a straight cash discount at participating Avolta locations, including Hudson News, many airport shops and restaurants, and plenty of duty-free stores.

You'll start as a Silver member and level up by earning points as you shop. The base discount is 5% off everything, applied at checkout — just enter your phone number at the kiosk.

Here's the discount by Club Avolta tier:

• Silver: 5% off shopping and dining
• Gold: 7% off shopping, 5% off dining
• Platinum: 10% off shopping, 5% off dining

But for points and miles enthusiasts, the real draw is earning airline miles. Club Avolta partners with several airlines to offer mileage earning in select markets.

The most useful for North American readers is its Air Canada Aeroplan partnership, which earns 1 Aeroplan point per $2 spent at duty-free and convenience stores in the U.S. and Canada. Link your accounts in the Club Avolta app to start earning.

Andrew's Take

Signing up for Club Avolta is a no brainer if you're a frequent traveler. You'll save 5% on shopping and dining at most airports, and earn airline miles on some purchases. I've been using it for a few months now, and I appreciate knowing my expensive airport Diet Cokes cost a little less.