AirAsia partners with RCBC for new credit card

MANILA, Philippines — Low-cost carrier AirAsia has teamed up with RCBC Bankard and Visa in introducing a new credit card product in the Philippines that will make booking flights with the airline easier, faster and more rewarding.

 “This dynamic collaboration between RCBC and AirAsia Berhad represents an exciting step forward in our ongoing journey towards providing modern travel experiences for our guests,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Dexter Comendador said.

“With AirAsia credit card, we are providing amazing opportunities and exclusive privileges for every guest to create memorable travel experiences whether they are on ground shopping, dining or flying to AirAsia destinations in the Philippines connecting across all ASEAN countries including Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Middle East and Hawaii in United States,” Comendador added.

Together with the AirAsia Big Loyalty program, credit cardholders will be able to enjoy the lowest flight fares across the airline’s extensive network.

AirAsia said the cardholders would also get to enjoy exciting perks and privileges every time they spend with their AirAsia credit card.

 “We believe that the AirAsia credit card embodies the wanderlust spirit and the adventurous lifestyle of Filipinos. As such, it is also essential that the AirAsia credit card will be able to help Filipinos get access to financial services anywhere in the world,” RCBC Bankard Services Corp. president and CEO Simon Javier Calasanz said.

Aside from the travel benefits, AirAsia credit cardholders will receive real-time SMS alerts service that lets cardholders have security and control over their spending, as well as access to cash anywhere in the world, free travel insurance and purchase protection, and bills payment process.

Stuart Tomlinson, Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam, said the partnership is part of the company’s commitment to create products and services that are relevant to cardholders so they continue to enjoy the perks of using digital payments in the country.

 “The partnership that we have with AirAsia and RCBC Bankard enables us to create a credit card product that encompasses all the exciting travel benefits for Filipinos. Travel is one of the top categories of spend among Filipino cardholders. Based on Visa’s data, close to 10 percent of Visa total spend is on air tickets.  With this credit card product, Filipinos can enjoy flight fares at competitive prices and the travel benefits that come along with it, while earning additional rewards when they spend using their cards,” Tomlinson said.

The AirAsia Group is the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, servicing the most extensive network of over 135 destinations across all ASEAN countries, Asia, India, Australia, China, Middle East and Hawaii in US.

In the Philippines, AirAsia has a current fleet of 21 Airbus A320s, from only two aircraft in 2012 when the airline began its commercial operation in Clark, Pampanga.

AirAsia Philippines is a joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio Cojuangco, former ambassador Alfredo Yao, Michael Romero and  Marianne Hontiveros and Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Berhad.