Mumbai: Mastercard said on Tuesday it has partnered with a global leader in loyalty and benefits, Collinson, to bring Mastercard flight delay pass to
Indian customers.
The tie-up allows eligible cardholders across six major Indian banks to register their flights in advance to receive an instantly redeemable voucher for access to their nearest available airport lounge if they are delayed by two hours or more, a release said.
The six banks are Canara Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank and Jammu and Kashmir Bank, it added.
According to a 2018 Collinson survey, flight delays significantly impact travellers in India. The survey revealed that while all respondents experienced a flight delay in the past two years, over two-thirds (64 per cent) were notified about the delay only after check-in.
Globally, one in five flights are now delayed, it said.
"There is a significant shift in the lifestyle, travel habits, and growth aspirations among frequent flyers. The collaboration with Collinson to introduce Mastercard flight delay pass is an opportunity for Mastercard to provide more value to the issuer banks," said Aman Ahuja, vice president for product management, South Asia, Mastercard.
The pass-by leveraging Collinsons leading airport lounge programmes and customer benefit solutions will enable travellers to escape the stress of flight delays, he added.
India is a key market for Collinson, demonstrating strong growth potential in terms of outbound travel, the release said.
The latest move is in line with its earlier announcement to triple its investment in the country to fuel additional growth within the companys airport experiences
besides doubling its lounge portfolio and boosting its technology capabilities in India over the next three years, it said.
As per the company, the Indian outbound travellers market is expected to touch 50 million-mark by 2020. The pass also leverages Collinsons global lounge network and technology so that in case of disruption, cardholders along with one travelling companion can relax in comfort while waiting for their flights at over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide, it said.
India is the fastest-growing domestic air travel market. As interest in travel continues to rise, we are committed to increasing our presence in the market.
"SmartDelay is an ideal entry-level solution for banks mid-tier customers to try the benefit of lounge access for the first time and incentivise them to move up to a card-tier that includes Priority Pass or LoungeKey," said Todd Handcock, president Asia Pacific, Collinson.
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