Trekking Agencies Launch Loyalty Program For Landslide Season Rescues
Frequent flyers can now redeem points earned from prior evacuations for priority seating on the next emergency helicopter out.
As helicopters continue lifting stranded trekkers off Nepal's mountainsides, several trekking outfitters have quietly rolled out a new tier system rewarding travelers who get rescued more than once. Under the program, a first evacuation earns a branded fleece blanket; a second unlocks priority boarding ahead of first-timers still waving from the ridge.
The agencies describe the initiative as a way to "add value" to an experience that already involves waiting out mudslides in a tent. Members who reach the top tier are promised a window seat and a laminated card identifying them as a "Summit Elite," which staff say has proven popular even among trekkers who never wanted to be rescued in the first place.
"We saw an opportunity to reward loyalty in a sector that, frankly, already has a lot of repeat business this season," said a spokesperson for one outfitter, adjusting a poncho printed with the company's logo. "Nobody plans to need three helicopter rides. But if you do, you might as well have snacks."
Other companies are reportedly considering a punch-card model, where trekkers who survive five separate evacuations receive a free trip — scheduled, naturally, for landslide season.