Emirates Skywards, the loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, has entered into an exclusive, multi-year partnership with Visa.
Visa will therefore strengthen its collaboration with Emirates Skywards and co-brand issuer partners across the GCC.
Emirates said that the latest agreement will enable the loyalty programme “to work more closely with its partners on personalisation and data-driven decision making; improve digitisation and innovation; and increase opportunities for more personalised rewards and products on co-brand card propositions.”
The partnership is expected to increase investments into the co-brand programme and allow members to benefit from personalised rewards and enhanced travel opportunities by way of exclusive offers including accelerating Miles earning opportunities and customised promotions.
Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, divisional senior vice president Emirates Skywards, said: “We’re excited to announce this landmark partnership with Visa – a strategic agreement which will unlock incremental value for our loyal members across the GCC and will tighten our collaboration with our banking partners in the region.”
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, senior vice president and group country manager for GCC at Visa, added, “This multi-year exclusive deal with Emirates Skywards, one of the largest of its kind worldwide and the largest in scale in the region, is a testament to Visa’s global leadership in travel co-brands and a significant milestone in our journey to enhance the payment experience for travelers worldwide. Here in the UAE, our Global Travel Intentions study revealed that 70 per cent of outbound travelers consider digital payments integral to a secure and rewarding travel experience. This large-scale partnership is a step towards fulfilling that need and we are thrilled with this opportunity to work with Emirates in bringing new experiences to Visa cardholders in the UAE and GCC.’’
Emirates Skywards has more than 30 million members worldwide and offers four tiers of membership – Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each tier earns exclusive privileges including instant flight upgrades, priority check-in and boarding, complimentary seat selection, excess baggage allowance, Cash+Miles options for ancillary products, and complimentary wifi on-board.
As part of a recent high-profile promotion, Emirates and Moët Hennessy partnered on a money-can’t-buy-experience for Skywards members. From 7 February onwards, Skywards’ elite members were allowed to bid Miles with Skywards Exclusives for a chance to win a trip to France with LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) to discover the vineyards in Champagne and streets of Paris. Starting from 250,000 Skywards Miles, the opportunity includes a two-day trip to Champagne and two-day trip to Paris. The offer is applicable to all Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum members and valid for travel from 25 April until 29 April 2024.
