Banks should embrace airlines as their muses — at least when it comes to fostering customer loyalty.

That sentiment was the main takeaway from a conversation I had with Susan Wolfe, vice president of financial services at Mintel Comperemedia, yesterday. Wolfe, who recently released research on debit card consumer behavior, believes banks need to take inspiration from the airline industry’s loyalty programs, which means caring less about offering card rewards and caring more about debuting special treatments for “elite” customers.

“Banks are struggling with loyalty and they have been struggling for a while,” Wolfe tells Bank Innovation. “A checking account has become a commodity. Why do you bank where you bank? Because it’s there and it’s convenient. ….[Banks] haven’t stepped up to the plate.”

And if they went the extra mile like certain airlines — pun intended — banks would foster greater loyalty, she maintains.

Much like airlines offering their frequent flier members earlier boarding times, comped bagged, maybe an extra drink or two, loyal banking customers should have access to a different phone line to connect to their banks, or perhaps earn rewards faster than fellow customers, she suggests.

“Banks haven’t done anything like that,” Wolfe says

And they will — albeit slowly. Wolfe highlights Bank of America as a recent bank piloting a program that explores this loyalty concept in three states. Its Platinum Privileges program offers special customer service for qualifying “platinum” customers.

Though a loyalty paradigm shift would require a lot of heavy lifting from banks, one worry they need not fear is killing off their debit reward programs due to changing legislation because those rewards weren’t doing much to foster loyalty, she adds.

“Banks are doing away with debit card rewards because of Durbin,” Wolfe says.

Though she says banks offering debit reward programs certainly encouraged consumers to spend a little more, a significant amount of Americans weren’t redeeming the rewards, negating the point of the program’s existence. In fact, Mintel Comperemedia discovered that offering debit card reward programs aren’t likely to foster customer loyalty. Why? 47% of consumers who participate in debit rewards program have never redeemed them, according to its spring research. Plus, the data indicates consumers are relying more on their debit cards for everyday purchases.

“People are really tied to their debit cards and are making them the primary way to purchase things from coffee to bigger [ticket items],” says Wolfe.

This trend, too, will change. As Wolfe puts it: “The evolution of the smartphone will impact banking.”