Dubai - In time for the upcoming summer travel season, Citibank unveiled the Citi PremierMiles line of premium credit cards that come with a free return trip to any destination worldwide, 75% off on companion tickets, unlimited lounge access, in addition to many of its exclusive privileges.
The launch is clearly based on a growing demand for travel-related value services in the UAE market, as demonstrated by customer survey results.
"The UAE is one of the most vibrant frequent flyer markets around the globe and remains so even in the current economic environment," said Sanjoy Sen, Citibank's Consumer Bank Head - Middle East. "We've tested the waters for a new credit card with a competitive reward potential and the most flexible redemption power among frequent travellers. The result of our survey confirmed the need for such a product."
Each feature of the Citi PremierMiles credit cards has been designed to meet specific needs of the affluent business and leisure travellers. Key focus areas include: best miles earn rate, best miles redemption/ conversion rate, most flexibility to redeem, instant gratification with unparalleled discounts, exclusive access and privileges, and personalized service along with attention to detail.
Cardholders can earn up to 3 Citi Miles on every US$ of spend - the best earn rate in the market. At this rate, in any given year, they can easily earn a free ticket as far as New York, or any other exciting destination worldwide by spending just US$ 2000 per month.
The Citi PremierMiles line differentiates itself from the existing co-branded mileage programs in the market by establishing a well-rounded Citi Miles platform for miles redemption with over 300 airlines and hotels worldwide. Cardholders can simply redeem their Citi Miles for any travel-related spend worldwide.
Furthermore, Citi PremierMiles provides 1:1 or better conversion of Citi Miles with an array of participating partners to allow cardholders choice with no black-out period conditions. This includes premium brands such as Qatar Airways, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Hilton and Rotana.
A special feature of the cards is that customers may continue accumulating and storing their Citi Miles in a centralized account until they wish to convert them into frequent flyer or loyalty points program of their choice, thus avoiding the inconvenience of having miles scattered across a variety of programs. This also allows cardholders the freedom to shop around for the best flights and hotel stay options with participating partners before transferring their Citi Miles to their choice of loyalty program.
"We believe that the strong features of PremierMiles directly address the growing needs of customers with a desire for more flexibility when it comes to travel and leisure plans. Cardholders now have the choice of many airlines to book their flights using their Citi Miles, not to mention a wide spectrum of travel and leisure service providers where miles can be instantly redeemed," added Mr. Sen.
The cards, namely Citi PremierMiles Elite and Citi PremierMiles, have been launched in collaboration with MasterCard and are available at World and Platinum levels respectively. They are packed with strong benefits, including but not limited to:
· High credit limit of up to AED 250,000 to allow its cardholders to enjoy the spend level that they are accustomed to
· Complimentary golf at premium courses
· Exclusive hotel privileges such as automatic enrolment in Platinum level of Fairmont President's Club, Elite level of Swissôtel's Club Swiss Gold, and Raffles Premier. Further benefits at selected hotels include complimentary room nights and upgrades, etc
· Up to 15% discount on air tickets with Qatar Airways and Gulf Air
· Automatic membership to Sixt and Budget Rent-a-Car for vehicle upgrades and up to 25% discount worldwide
· Free e-gate, Europcar airport transfers, Citibank World Privileges, MasterCard World Privileges and much more
"MasterCard is pleased to collaborate with Citibank to launch PremierMiles to cater to the travel needs of the well-heeled, travel-savvy consumer in the UAE. This launch complements our commitment to develop innovative programs that offer ease and convenience to the discerning consumer," said Raghu Malhotra, general manager, Middle East (Gulf Countries), MasterCard Worldwide. "The Citi PremierMiles MasterCard has a highly flexible mileage proposition and gives cardholders an unparalleled level of choice when redeeming miles. Cardholders who use this card can be reassured that they will be able to find redemption options that meet their needs. This is an important market innovation."
"We continue to build strategic partnerships with leading airlines, hotels and travel service providers in this region. Our goal is to make the Citi PremierMiles line the best premium mileage and travel program in the market," said Faraaz Ali, Cards Business Head, Citibank UAE.
Citi has been in the Middle East for nearly 50 years and currently offers consumer-banking services in the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. In the UAE alone, Citibank, the consumer banking arm of Citi, has had a presence for the past 46 years and is expanding its major operations within the country. The bank is currently a major player in the UAE's credit card market and a leading provider of banking, Wealth Management and Consumer credit services.
Citi Cards is part of Citi, the leading global financial services company, and the world's largest credit card issuer with more than 170 million cards in issue in 50 countries worldwide. Citi is a global leader in partnership credit cards, with leading airlines, retail, telecoms, oil and gas companies as key partners around the world.
(For information on how to apply for Citi PremierMiles Elite or Citi PremierMiles, kindly call +971 (4) 311 4411, or send an SMS to 2484 'FLY', or visit www.citibank.ae/premiermiles)
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About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com
For more information, please contact:
Citi, Dubai: Karim Seifeddine
Tel: +971 4 604 4392
Email: karim.seifeddine@citi.com
© Press Release 2010
