<h1>Airline and loyalty tech partner on five-year patented platform deal for next-gen frequent flyer program, raising IP, data, antitrust risks</h1> A national carrier entered a five-year strategic partnership with a loyalty technology provider to develop and operate a next-generation frequent flyer program using the provider's patented platform, scheduled to launch March 2026. The deal contemplates licensing of intellectual property, cross-sector partner integrations, and real-time, data-driven member engagement, raising contractual issues around service levels, IP rights, revenue sharing and termination. Implementation will implicate data protection, cybersecurity, and consumer-protection compliance, and may warrant antitrust review depending on partner networks and market effects. Parties will need clear allocations of liability, data-processing obligations, and exit/transition arrangements.