Premium credit cards promise the world: concierge services, global airport lounge access, comprehensive travel coverage, exclusive perks. They come with a high annual fee—a price that customers are willing to pay for the assurance that when something goes awry, their card provider will be there to make it right.

Yet, when a true opportunity to shine presents itself such as during the recent Air Canada strike, numerous moments to stand out and build a positive customer experience were missed. Loyalty, isn’t only built in the good times; it’s forged and deepened in moments of stress, disruption, and uncertainty. In fact, these can be the strongest ways to build and affinity and love for a brand.

I was reminded of this during my own experience because of the recent Air Canada strike that directly impacted my family and many others

I hold a high-end credit card, and I put everything on it—every personal purchase, every business transaction, every travel expense. That means that my provider has deep insight into my travel patterns. They would know, upon checking, that I booked an Air Canada flight. They would have seen, through my transactions, that I was in Europe. And during that first weekend of the strike, they would have known that I was likely among the 25,000 Canadians stranded abroad.

This was a golden opportunity for premium card issuers to show up for their customers. In fact, they expect it. The influence of Access (first-looks, last calls, front of the line) and Know Me (recognition, personalization, tailored experiences) are higher for credit card holders—but very few cards are actually meeting those expectations (The Bond Loyalty Report, 2025). Missed opportunity number one.

And while credit cards are reluctant to use customer data, customers actually expect them to in order to personalize their experience, with ‘How much I spend’ and ‘Where I spend’ leading at 40% (The Bond Loyalty Report, 2025). Missed opportunity number two.

We’ve seen this shift unfold over the past three years, with cardholders expecting their own journey, not just the tier membership journey. Which means there is opportunity to differentiate and move the needle by focusing on things like personalization, time, access, rather than just focusing on the financial element.

During the strike, credit card providers could have:

• Identified impacted cardholders using transaction and location data.

• Proactively reached out with strike updates, travel tips, and reminders of insurance benefits.

• Offered alternative travel solutions or prioritized access to concierge teams who could take action.

• Checked in post-crisis to ensure customers got home safely.

Instead? Silence.

I even received an email from CAA, who was offering support to its impacted customers; the email offered advice, updates, and, most importantly, news that their travel team was “currently reaching out directly to advise of options and support any new arrangements.” The Canadian Automobile Association offered me help before my credit card provider, whom I use every day, did.

In the end, I navigated the chaos with the support of our company, Bond’s Air Travel Team. The journey home was not easy: two children, a mother with health issues, long airport lines, endless rebooking attempts, digging through fine print to understand my coverage… the list goes on. The very promise that I was paying for—peace of mind in moments like this—never materialized.

And that’s the real missed opportunity.

This wasn’t just about functional value. It was about emotional value; the kind that turns a “customer” into a “customer for life.” In premium services, differentiation isn’t about the champagne in the lounge; it’s about being present and proactive when the skies turn turbulent.