Riyadh Air launches Sfeer frequent flyer loyalty program

Very few airlines have the opportunity to launch a completely new, designed-from-the-ground-up loyalty program.

Yet that’s where Riyadh Air finds itself, as the state-owned Saudi Arabian carrier prepares for take-off – beginning with flights to London and Dubai from October 26, and eventually blanketing the globe with more than 180 jets touching 100 destinations by 2030.

And in keeping with the Gulf startup’s ambitious plan to shake up the status quo, its new Sfeer frequent flyer rewards program also aims to be different from the norm.

“A lot of pain points that are very common in loyalty programmes are based on legacy design, and a lot of legacy technology as well,” Kim Hardaker, Riyadh Air’s Vice President of Loyalty, tells Executive Traveller.

“So how do we push off of all of these pain points and create something that allows us to really touch base, not just with the frequent flyer community, but beyond that, with the incredible opportunity of learning from all the industry experience and building a new technology stack?”

Kim Hardaker, Riyadh Air’s Vice President of Loyalty, sees Sfeer as being decidedly different.

The Australian-born Hardaker, who most recently headed the rival Etihad Guest program and before that clocked up two years at Qantas, says Sfeer will progressively take shape over the next two years “until we reach the vision of Sfeer in 2026/2027.”

“One of the biggest pain points in the industry is that points expire – but our Sfeer Points will not expire, which is an incredible proposition.”

Sfeer members will also be able to share their miles, status points and status benefits with family, friends and colleagues.

“If I have a lounge pass that I can’t use, and my friend is travelling, I tap my phone and you can enjoy that benefit of my membership.”

“Our intention is that you are able to share all of the aspects of your membership, which would also include status points.”

Sfeer takes to the stage

Derived from the Arabic word Safir, which means ‘ambassador’, and styled with a modern twist which also aligns with the English word sphere, Sfeer is now open for ‘founding members’ to sign up.

Sfeer is now open, and early sign-ups are considered Founding Members.

The most obvious perk comes from Day One: in the first weeks of Riyadh Air’s flights to London and Dubai, the only passengers allowed on those Boeing 787s will be Sfeer members.

In both its name and fluidic orange blob logo, Sfeer is not a brand you’d associate with an airline rewards program.

The Sfeer brand is deliberately nothing like you'd expect from an airline loyalty program.

Sfeer could be a telco, a streaming video service, an energy drink – pretty much anything associated with the airline’s youthful target audience, which across Saudi Arabia averages 30 years.

Hardaker cites Sfeer’s ‘gamification’ – with leaderboards, awards and challenges – as a clear signal to that market.

"Gaming is incredibly big in the kingdom, as you would’ve seen with the various different eSports championships here, so we’ve taken a lot of inspiration from that.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about Riyadh Air’s Sfeer loyalty program.

Sfeer Points 

Sfeer Points are the earn & burn currency of Riyadh Air, and will never expire due to inactivity.

They’ll be earned on flights with Riyadh Air and its sibling Saudia, plus international airline partners.

That’s a growing roster headlined by Air China, Air France, China Eastern, Delta Air Lines, Egyptair, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. 

Of course, there’ll also be on-the-ground earning “when you shop, dine, stay, and more,” the airline promises, along with “exclusive member-only fares and upgrades.”

Sfeer status

Sfeer’s status tiers or Levels “will launch in early 2026,” Hardaker shares, and be based on each membership-year’s earning of Level Points. 

“But any travel that our members do before then will count towards their status or their level when (Levels) go live.”

To nobody’s surprise, Riyadh Air is embracing a spend-based Sfeer status model that’s becoming increasing popular with airlines – if unpopular with many frequent flyers.

“We are a revenue based programme, so (Level Point earning is) dependent on the cabin of travel.”

Flying in Riyadh Air's 787 Business Elite suite will earn the most Sfeer Level Points.

Fly up front, in Business or Business Elite, and you’ll climb the Sfeer loyalty ladder faster than if you’re in premium economy or economy.

Likewise, higher-priced flexible fares will yield more Level Points than discounted lead-in fares.

There’ll also be opportunities to earn Level Points on the ground through “a number of strategic partnerships”, Hardaker says.

Sfeer will have four elite status levels, with the first three tiers branded as Sfeer Silver, Sfeer Gold and Sfeer Platinum.

“We are also going to have a Sfeer level above Platinum,” she reveals, while not taking the bait if this might be called Sfeer Titanium.

But as for the first three levels “we’ve chosen to go the traditional route with metals.”

“Simplicity was key for us, and when it comes to partnering with other airlines, we want to make sure that the reciprocal members of each programme find it easy to understand the benefits.”

Elite Sfeer members will enjoy reciprocal perks on partner airlines such as Singapore Airlines.

Sfeer status perks

It’s safe to say that Sfeer Levels will come with the usual benefits such as priority boarding, a more generous checked luggage allowance, a higher earn rate for Sfeer Points and so on.

On Riyadh Air flights, Wi-Fi will be free for all Sfeer members.

The airline also teases that elite Sfeer members can look forward to “exclusive benefits from our partners across travel, fashion, food, travel and more.”

“We’ve a nice portfolio of ‘blue chip’ international partnerships that will be offering benefits to Sfeer members from very early on,” Hardaker emphasises.

All of these will be detailed when Sfeer Levels are activated in early 2026.

High-tier Sfeer members will have access to Riyadh Air's new Hafawa Lounge.

For now, Riyadh Air has confirmed that travellers holding the higher Sfeer levels will also enjoy lounge access, starting with the airline’s own Hafawa Lounge at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

And as expected, Riyadh Air will allow “reciprocality and recognition between partner airlines”, based on the alignment of each airline’s elite tiers to Sfeer Levels.

Will Riyadh Air offer a Sfeer status match?

In the array of levers which an airline’s loyal program can pull, opening a status match or status challenge to a competitor’s frequent flyers is perhaps the most obvious.

In the case of Riyadh Air, nobody expects a Sfeer status match against partners like Singapore Airlines, Deltas Air Lines or Virgin Atlantic.

But what about a fast-track status match to Sfeer Gold or Sfeer Platinum for regional rivals such as Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest and Qatar Airways Privilege Club – not to mention the home carriers of each market that Riyadh Air enters, beginning with London and British Airways?

“That’s the million dollar question,” Hardaker laughs.

“At this stage, it’s not what we are planning. We feel really excited to engage people in our community of Sfeer, and we obviously have a wonderful proposition both in loyalty and in Riyadh Air.”

“So a status match won’t be offered at this point, but certainly we’ll continue to explore that in the future.”

In other words: watch this space...