Asia Miles
for those who're interested...you may get a bit more information at http://www.asiamiles.com...
15 October, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CATHAY PACIFIC LAUNCHES NEW FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME 'ASIA MILES'
Cathay Pacific Airways today announced details of its new frequent flyer programme "Asia Miles" offering a comprehensive range of opportunities for members to earn and redeem awards for air travel globally. Asia Miles will allow members to earn free flights faster and easier than before, and features accrual in all classes of air travel including Economy Class. The programme begins 1 February 1999, from which time passengers can earn and redeem Asia Miles for free travel to over 800 destinations worldwide.
Asia Miles will replace Cathay Pacific's former jointly-owned programme Passages and has already attracted an extensive list of partners. Air partners include oneworld™ alliance members American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, and Qantas Airways, as well as Swissair and its partners, and Japan Airlines. Dragonair intends to join Asia Miles at an appropriate time in the future and will be a welcome addition.
The programme is supported by an impressive list of financial service partners including Citibank, American Express and Standard Chartered, which will allow customer spending on selected cards to earn Asia Miles. Another key partner is Hongkong Telecom, which will allow earning of Asia Miles through spending on a range of telecommunications services, including IDD, calling card services and mobile phones.
Travel partners include the hotel chains of Hilton, Hyatt, Inter-Continental, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Pan Pacific/Tokyu, Renaissance, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Westin and The Peninsula Group. Asia Miles can be earned with these hotel partners for each qualifying stay, and also with car rental
company Hertz for each qualifying rental.
Asia Miles membership is open to anyone over the age of 12. Members can open a mileage account and earn miles when they use Cathay Pacific, its partner airlines, or other programme partners. Passengers can redeem these miles for free flights and upgrades. Redemption will be available from day one.
"We designed Asia Miles to be so extensive in scope that customers would never need to join another programme," said Peter Buecking, Cathay Pacific's Director Sales & Marketing. "Asia Miles has a very strong global network, and a list of partners with a superb reputation for global excellence and high quality customer service."
Frequent business travellers on Cathay Pacific will continue to earn special service and recognition benefits through membership of The Marco Polo Club and members in Asia will automatically receive all Asia Miles benefits from 1 February 1999, as will members of British Airways Executive Club.