Abu Dhabi, UAE: Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, and SBI Card, one of India’s largest credit card issuers, has launched a unique travel specific Visa credit card for members and the Indian community in the UAE. The card, which will be available in two variants, Etihad Guest SBI Card and Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card, will offer more rewarding experiences and bring an unmatched value proposition to Etihad Guest members and international travellers from India.
India is a key strategic market for Etihad Airways, currently offering 147 weekly flights across 10 gateway cities in the country. The airline provides Indian travellers greater choice, more convenience and increased connectivity via its home, Abu Dhabi. IATA’s 2018 India Aviation report shows about 41% of India’s direct international connectivity is to the Middle East, with much of it directly to the UAE.
Etihad Guest SBI Card and Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card offer complimentary Etihad Guest Silver Tier Status along with 2,500 Etihad Guest Miles, and Gold Tier Status with 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles respectively, upon first card swipe so cardholders can start collecting rewards straight away.
The new co-brand cards offer an accelerated rewards programme which allows guests to earn up to six Etihad Guest Miles per INR 100 (AED 5) spent on Etihad.com. Cardholders also earn up to four Etihad Guest Miles on every INR 100 (AED 5) of international spends and up to two Etihad Guest Miles on every INR 100 (AED 5) of domestic spends. In addition, guests earn two Tier Miles per INR 100 (AED 5) spent on all transactions. Etihad Guest Miles can be redeemed to travel to destinations worldwide with Etihad Airways and over 20 partner airlines. Members can also choose to use their Etihad Guest Miles to stay at over 300,000 hotels worldwide rent the best of car hire brands with Travel Rewards or purchase thousands of products at the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.
Additional benefits include additional excess baggage allowance of 10kgs and 15kgs respectively and priority boarding, 3-10% discount on direct Etihad Airways bookings as well as the new Guest +1 voucher, allowing cardholders to take a companion along with them on a reward flight in any cabin or destination.
Etihad Airways Vice President Commercial Partnerships, Yasser Al Yousuf, said: “India is a key strategic market for Etihad Airways and with some many Indian nationals living in the UAE, we are delighted to launch our first India-specific credit card with one of the country’s most revered institutions, SBI Card. This card enables members to earn Etihad Guest Miles every time they spend, empowering them to make choices about how they collect and spend their miles. With increased travel from our guests to USA, we believe this card also strengthens our existing travel benefits including US pre-clearance.”
The partnership was launched at an exclusive evening at Hotel Taj Palace in New Delhi, hosted
by frequent traveller and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and attended by leading socialites and world travellers, business leaders and travel and lifestyle media.
Talking about her regular travel and how the new co-branded card is the ideal way to improve the experience, Shetty said: “As a frequent traveller it’s reassuring to have the comfort and extra benefits the Etihad Guest SBI Card provides, allowing me to enjoy special perks like priority check-in and lounge access so I can relax and enjoy the process of the journey. It’s a definite game changer for me, especially when I have to fly so much. I love the freedom of being able to use the points with some of my favourite hotels around the world.”
These cards offer the maximum value compared to others in their segment. On an annual spend of INR10 lakh (AED 51,500), the Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card offers a value back of up to INR 234,000 (AED 12,000), which is the highest of any travel cobrand card in India.
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For further information, please contact:
Duty Media Officer
Etihad Airways
Tel: +97150 818 9596
Email: dutymediaofficer@etihad.ae
SBI Card
Tripti Modi
M: +91 9599213959
E-Mail: tripti.modi@sbicard.com
Perfect Relations for SBI Card
Rakesh Kumar Jha
M: + 91 9873904595
Email: rjha@perfectrelations.com
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