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In a first for Sri Lanka, Standard Chartered Bank and Skywards , the frequent flyer programme of SriLankan Airlines and Emirates, has introduced a co-branded credit card, bringing great travel benefits for customers.
To celebrate the launch, Standard Chartered is offering 5,000 free Skywards Miles to the first 800 successful applicants for its classic co-branded Master Card.
The first 800 successful applicants for its co-branded Gold Master Card will receive 10,000 Skywards Miles.
Successful applicants of the Standard Chartered- Skywards credit card will earn one Skywards Mile every time they spend Rs100 using the card.
If not already a Skywards member, they will be automatically enrolled in the programme, entitling them to the privileges of Skywards membership.
Skywards members can exchange Miles for a host of rewards - free flights and upgrades on SriLankan, Emirates and on partner airlines, plus free hotel stays, leisure activities and luxury goods.
Barry Brown, Head of Commercial of SriLankan Airlines, said: "We are pleased to welcome Standard Chartered Bank in Sri Lanka to the privileged network of Skywards partners. The linking of Standard Chartered Bank to the Skywards programme enhances the privileges offered to our frequent flyers by providing a new opportunity for earning valuable Skywards Miles. “Indeed, our aim is to consistently expand the opportunities we offer our loyal customers, under our frequent flyer programme."
"This new partnership with a company of the calibre of Standard Chartered Bank reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that the Skywards programme continues to deliver only the best to our members,” added Brian LaBelle, Skywards ' Vice President at Emirates.
Sabry Ghouse, Head of Consumer Banking for Standard Chartered Bank explained that customers can earn even more Skyward Miles when buying their ticket with the co-branded card. “A cardholder can earn Miles twice when they purchase a ticket on SriLankan, Emirates or partner airlines; once when they purchase the ticket and again when they travel on the airline,” he said.
“For the first time, a customer can use the card for both everyday essentials such as utility bills or on big items, and earn Miles which they can exchange for benefits such as free flights, upgrades and much more, he added."
Issued by:
SriLankan Airlines
Emirates Airline
Standard Chartered Bank
About Standard Chartered Bank
Following the acquisition of Korea First Bank, Standard Chartered now employs 38,000 people in 950 locations in more than 50 countries in the Asia Pacific region, South Asia , the Middle East , Africa , the United Kingdom and the Americas . Standard Chartered is one of the world's most international banks, with employees representing 80 nationalities.
Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is in the top 25 FTSE-100 companies, by market capitalisation.
The Bank serves both consumer and wholesale banking customers. Consumer banking provides credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, deposit taking and wealth management services to individuals and small-to-medium sized enterprises. Wholesale banking provides corporate and institutional clients with services in trade finance, cash management, lending, securities services, foreign exchange, debt capital markets and corporate finance.
Standard Chartered is well-established in growth markets and aims to be the right partner for its customers. The Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability.
About Skywards
Launched by Emirates in 2000, Skywards is already widely known as best-in-class for its dedication to offering members benefits which go far beyond the immediate travel experience. Membership of Skywards has grown dramatically to now total over 1.4 million members in over 200 countries worldwide.
The two key drivers of the programme are commitment to innovation and the philosophy that superior customer service is key.
Members earn Skywards Miles on every flight with Emirates, SriLankan and its partner airlines and hotels worldwide, in addition to car hire and financial services companies. Rewards for a passenger's loyalty and business include free flights to hundreds of destinations, leisure activities and quality goods.
With three tiers of membership – Blue, Silver and Gold - members can enjoy more privileges the higher their membership tier. Tier miles are accumulated whenever they fly with SriLankan and Emirates. Privileges include wait-list priority for all tiers, with priority check-in and airport lounge access for Gold and Silver members.
In April, Skywards took top honours in New York at InsideFlyer magazine's 17 th Annual Freddie Awards, the 'Oscars' of customer loyalty programmes.
Skywards received "Freddies" for "Best Member Communications" and "Best Web Site" in the Asia Pacific region, plus the coveted title of "Programme of the Year" which honours performance across the full spectrum of services provided by a frequent flyer programme. Skywards has been winning awards every year since inception five short years ago, and currently has 13 awards to its credit.
In July 2004, Skywards celebrated its millionth Skywards member by donating one million Miles each to the charities CARE, UNICEF and Beit Al Khair. Members also contributed an additional 12.5 million Miles. But before the year's end, members again gave their support when disaster struck the shores of Asia during the December Tsunami, answering Skywards ' appeal for relief support with an outstanding donation of another 12 million Miles.
Skywards ' website - www.skywards.com - is designed to all ow members to manage almost all aspects of their membership online. The web provides an exciting, interactive online service packed with personalised features, news and special offers.
Skywards also has a club for its younger travellers that has proven to be as much fun on the ground and on the web as in the air! Skysurfers, for customers aged up to 16 years, is tailored to their preferences and interests and can be accessed on the web at www.skysurfers.com |
