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SBI Card and Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, have joined hands to launch a travel specific Visa credit card for members and Indian travellers.
This is the first international co-brand partnership of SBI Card, the country's second largest credit card issuer.
The card will be available in two variants, Etihad Guest SBI Card and Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card, will bring an unmatched value proposition to Etihad Guest members and international travellers from India.
It has been launched against the backdrop of increasing international travel in the country. Travel is now a key spend category for Indian consumers, with 33 per cent of overall card spends in the SBI Card portfolio made within the travel industry.
Ideal partnership
Commenting on this partnership, Hardayal Prasad, Managing Director & CEO, SBI Card, said: “With Etihad Guest, we are pleased to initiate our first international co-brand partnership. Through this tie-up with Etihad Guest, we seek to offer a powerful product which will complement the lifestyles of affluent and urban Indians who frequently travel overseas.” He added that he expects the Indians will travel more with increasing disposable incomes and greater global exposure.
West Asia commands an important share of the Indian outbound travel market and UAE has emerged as one of the top two international destinations for Indian travellers. “We have observed a CAGR of 66 per cent in spends on our cards between FY14 and FY18 in the region. As one of the top two international airlines for outbound international passenger traffic from India, with a strong share in West Asia, Etihad Guest is the right partner,” Prasad said.
India is a key strategic market for Etihad Airways, currently offering 147 weekly flights across 10 gateway cities in the country. IATA’s 2018 India Aviation report shows that about 41 per cent of India’s direct international connectivity is to West Asia, with much of it directly to the UAE.
Aviation passenger traffic in India has grown 12.7 per cent annually for the past five years and forecasts by the IATA project India becoming the third largest aviation market by FY25.
Yasser Al Yousuf, Vice President Commercial Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said: “India is a key strategic market for Etihad Airways and we are delighted to launch our first India-specific credit card for our members with 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.”
TR Ramachandran, Group Country Manager for India & South Asia, Visa, said: “We are delighted to be partnering SBI Card and Etihad Airways in launching this unique card for the affluent Indian traveller.With cash being the least preferred option for Indians on the move, we anticipate this new card to appeal to the global Indian traveller.”
Benefits
Under this scheme, cardholders of the Etihad Guest SBI Card and Etihad Guest SBI Premier Card will receive a complimentary Etihad Guest Silver Tier Status along with 2,500 Etihad Guest Miles, orGold Tier Status with 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles respectively, and with the first card swipe, customers 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 ₹100 spent on Etihad.com. Cardholders also earn up to four Etihad Guest Miles on every ₹100 of international spends and up to two Etihad Guest Miles on every ₹100 of domestic spends. In addition, guests earn two Tier Miles per ₹100 spent on all transactions.
Etihad Guest Miles can be redeemed to travel to destinations worldwide with Etihad Airways and over 20 partner airlines.
Additional benefits include additional excess baggage allowance of 10 kgs and 15 kgs respectively and priority boarding, 3-10 per cent 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.
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