DreamFolks launches card-based Club Membership Program for travellers, ET TravelWorld

DreamFolks, the airport services aggregator in India, has taken a noteworthy step in the travel sector with the launch of its exclusive membership program- The DreamFolks Club. Without the need of a debit or credit card during travelling, this initiative aims to capture the attention of ambitious Indian travellers and looks at redefining the way people perceive and enjoy travel and luxury.

“We have bundled our world-class services into exclusive memberships targeted at luxury comfort for all budget ranges. As India’s leading airport experience disruptors, we are now extending premium travel and lifestyle services to a wider range of customers. I see the DreamFolks Club as integral to manifesting our founding belief – Making premium travel and lifestyle experiences accessible to everyone,” said Liberatha Kallat, CMD of DreamFolks, articulating the ethos behind The DreamFolks Club.

The Membership Tiers and Benefits

The DreamFolks Club offers an array of membership packages designed to cater to diverse travel and lifestyle needs. With a one-year validity and starting price ranging between INR 8000-10000, the Club introduces four card variants. The entry-level Aspire package opens the doors to premium travel, offering complimentary access to airport lounges within India, ideal for frequent travellers seeking comfort and convenience.

The Premium package elevates the benefits by granting access to global airport lounges, discounted lounge purchases, and exclusive deals on various travel and lifestyle services. Moving up the ladder, the Select package includes airport and railway lounge access as well as offers complimentary services such as beauty & grooming, floral gifting, and healthcare.

For those seeking luxury, the Elite package delivers global airport lounge access, access to golf courses, and a comprehensive suite of premium lifestyle services.

Upon joining, members gain instant access to these services. They can opt for a new or extended membership, both valid for a year.

Adding to this, Balaji Srinivasan, Executive Director and CTO at DreamFolks said that while the membership is valid for the individual/ member, it’s possible to include guests from the first package onward. “Additionally, there are good discounts if you wish to bring friends, family, or children along, offering a great way to share the benefits,” he shared.

Surge in lounge utilisation among travellers

During the launch event in New Delhi, Kallat also revealed that DreamFolks conceived the Club membership initiative after recognising the industry’s prevailing challenges, much like a gap identified 11 years prior. These challenges encompassed the rise of new sectors in banking and fintech.

“Moreover, there’s a significant surge in lounge utilisation among travellers, especially families, wherein each member possesses a card. As awareness is rising as well as there is a spike in leisure travel, so does the utilisation of lounge services in Tier II and Tier III cities. Additionally, not all introduced services are uniformly available across cards, limiting benefits,” she added.

This structure, now available in the form of Club membership, aims to streamline the user experience and address market voids, ensuring simplicity and inclusivity in accessing services for all members, said Kallat.

“11 years ago, we pioneered a card-based program, followed by a hybrid model integrating digital access six years ago. Five years back, we introduced web access for a seamless user experience. Subsequently, the self-check-in kiosk innovation alleviated lounge queuing by providing QR codes well in advance. These innovations, unique to Dream Folks globally, led us to the launch of our exclusive membership program – The Dream Folks Club,” she recalled.

Every enterprise is our target

Sharing insights into their marketing strategy, Kallat told ETTravelWorld, “Regarding strategies to boost program participation and the target audience, we’re not limiting ourselves to banks or network providers. Our focus extends to enterprises. Every enterprise is our target as they’re keen on offering these benefits not just to employees but also to clients and channel partners. We’re planning to sell these services directly to enterprises through various channels, with a current emphasis on this sector.”

When asked about plans for collaborations with other industries for added value, Kallat emphasised how their suite of services holds value for a wide spectrum of an organisation’s stakeholders, making every enterprise a potential audience for these services.

Speaking further about the business-centric nature of their offerings, Sandeep Sonawane, Chief Business Officer at DreamFolks shared that through the Dream Folks Corporate Membership program, the company offers a powerful tool for businesses to elevate their relationships with key stakeholders. “These curated travel and lifestyle experience bundles provide an effortless solution for companies to incentivise, reward, and attract employees, customers, and channel partners, thus enhancing customer retention and loyalty. It also elevates your brand’s perception as a premium one, enabling companies to drive brand preference,” he said.

Sonawane further highlighted how these memberships could serve as powerful Rewards and Recognition incentives, enhancing employee engagement and fostering meaningful connections.

Commanding 90 per cent market share

Currently, DreamFolks functioning as a travel services aggregator, having an exclusive in-house technology platform, empowers various entities like Banks, Card Networks, Airlines, OTAs, and Enterprises to curate tailor-made offerings for their respective customers.

Notably, DreamFolks manages lounge facilities and other associated benefits for the majority of India’s top Banks including HDFC, Axis, ICICI and more. With an impressive dominance, it commands a 90 per cent share in the domestic lounge access market pertaining to India-issued debit and credit programs.

“Our journey commenced with lounges, which traditionally relied solely on business class passengers for their operation. Dreamfolks transformed this landscape entirely. Presently, over 80 per cent of the traffic directed to these lounges, and subsequently, the revenue of all airports, is facilitated by Dreamfolks. What was once exclusively dependent on business class travellers has now metamorphosed due to our efforts. Dreamfolks pioneered this change within the Indian industry. However, we didn’t confine ourselves to lounges alone; we diversified our services, venturing into meet-and-assist programs, airport transfers, airport spas, F&B, transit hotels, visa doorstep services, and recently, golf. The list of services continues to expand as Dreamfolks remains committed to continual innovation,” Kallat told ETTravelWorld.

The company made a significant move by going public in Sep ’22, securing listings on both the BSE and NSE. This decision marked a pivotal moment in their trajectory, which shows their global footprint now spanning across 1,500+ touchpoints spread over 100+ countries worldwide.