Start planning your vacations now with Citi PremierMiles

It’s the best card for travelers, no doubt. No, let me rephrase that: it’s the best card for smart, frequent travelers. Citi’s PremierMiles Visa lets cardholders earn miles that could go to free flights and has perks designed for frequent fliers. 

When Citi introduced the card in 2008, frequent fliers felt that, finally, here was a card that was designed for them — and it’s true. When Citi rolled it out, I immediately changed my Visa card to PremierMiles Visa and it’s my most gasgas card since because it lets me acquire miles for a lower spend (P30 for a PremierMiles Platinum card and P40 for PremierMiles to get one mile). It’s also one of the best-designed cards today (it’s matte black with a small silver plane seemingly flying across the card). 

With PremierMiles, cardholders don’t have to wade through thick catalogues for rewards they don’t need or want. No other card is so singular in its target market that all the perks are geared toward a single reward: travel.

Citi PremierMiles Visa and Cathay Pacific have an ongoing fall-off-your seat offer that gives cardholders huge discounts on their companion tickets in both economy and business class.

For every Cathay Pacific ticket purchased using your Citi PremierMiles Card, you get 50 percent off on up to two companion tickets, and 25 percent discount on your third companion ticket. This offer started in late May and new destinations have been added since to make it over 35 cities in Asia Pacific including Australia, Japan, China, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and of course Hong Kong and Singapore.

According to Citi Philippines Consumer Business Manager Bea Tan, “The Citi PremierMiles Card remains the traveller’s card with the best travel rewards program. The product was designed to appeal to travelers, and we continue to refine our offers to ensure that we are not only giving clients what they want, but also anticipating their needs.” 

Booking period is until December 31 and travel period is until May 2014.  With CX’s vast network and multiple daily flights around the region, it’s the perfect time to book for couples, families and friends who want to get away together — whether it’s for a long weekend in Hong Kong or Shanghai, or to catch the cherry blossoms in Tokyo next year, or to spend a warm Christmas in Sydney or Auckland.

Cathay Pacific marketing manager Anna Marie Lee says, “We are excited to partner with Citibank to offer 50 percent off on companion tickets for Citi PremierMiles Visa cardholders. We have received overwhelming response since we launched the offer early this year. The 50 percent discount to over 35 destinations is definitely a perfect opportunity to plan that dream vacation. And we are more than happy for Citi customers to experience Cathay Pacific’s world-class products and services.”

Anna adds that the top three destinations for the Companion Ticket promo among PremierMiles cardholders are Osaka, Tokyo and Hong Kong. 

How does it work? Travelers can book their first ticket online and then call Cathay Pacific for their companion tickets or, better yet, call Cathay Pacific and book all their tickets in one go. 

“Travelers who book their tickets under this promo need to travel together out of the Philippines but not necessarily back,” says Anna. For instance, a family of four going to Hong Kong needs to leave Manila or Cebu together and can come home on different dates. So, if one parent has to come home for work on Monday, the rest of the family can stay behind to do more sightseeing or shopping.

Bea adds that because of the substantial discounts, travelers are now availing of business class tickets to destinations like Australia. “They want to treat themselves to luxury service on the longer flights. And everyone loves the free stopover in Hong Kong on the return flight where they can spend several days for more shopping. With the free stopover, it’s like going on two trips for the price of one ticket!”

It’s not just the fares that Citi’s offering discounts on. Citi has also partnered with Agoda.com for hotel discounts. Cardholders get a seven percent discount on their booking when they use their PremierMiles Card — that’s on top of the deep discounts that Agoda.com gives.

Booking period on www.agoda.com/citibankph is until December 31 and stay period is until Feb. 15, 2014. Don’t worry about securing this PremierMiles perk because Agoda.com gives the seven percent discount automatically when you book online using this website as it recognizes that you are using a PremierMiles card from the credit card number.

Bea says PremierMiles is also expanding its portfolio of partners. On top of getting miles from Asia Miles, KrisFlyer, Executive Club, Sky Miles, Royal Orchid Plus and Mabuhay Miles, new partners are coming onboard later this month. “We’re adding new airline partners and hotel group partners. Soon we will have Etihad, Eva Air, Malaysia Airlines, Intercontinental’s IHG Group and Hilton HHonors. Now your miles become even more flexible and can be used not just for free travel but for free hotel stays as well.”

Both hotel groups have a wide network of hotels across Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. IHG boasts 4,600 hotels in 100 countries and includes Intercon, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites. Hilton HHonors has some of the world’s best-known luxury brands such as Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hamptonand Embassy Suites.  

“It’s a global tie-up for PremierMiles and your miles can be converted at a 1:1 rate, meaning one mile for one hotel point, just like how it works for airline miles,” says Bea. 

Citi also has an exclusive promotion with Shangri-La Philippines wherein Citi PremierMiles cardholders get dining discounts, such as a 20 percent discount at Circles, Paparazzi, Tides and Vintana café from Monday to Thursday, and 15 percent in all other dining outlets of Shangri-La brands in the Philippines for a minimum purchase of P10,000. On top of that, Citi PremierMiles cardholders are entitled to one room voucher for free when you buy three weekend nights of a Horizon Club Room at local resident’s rate in all the Shang hotels in the Philippines. 

Cardholders who travel long haul with small children will love that Citi will soon have Etihad as partner. Etihad just introduced a new service called ‘Fly Nanny’ so if you’re not bringing your yaya with you, the plane has one trained flight attendant that can help keep your child entertained while you’re eating or sleeping. The nanny on board will go around helping parents with small children and it’s a great addition to their service.

On top of these, one perk that cardholders love is the lounge access. “Our cardholders get to use the Miascor Lounge at NAIA Terminal 1 even if they’re flying economy class,” Bea says. “If you’re a PremierMiles Platinum cardholder, you can bring in one companion to the lounge. It’s a feature that our customers enjoy using every time they travel.” 

Speaking of flexibility, Citi PremierMiles also allows cardholders to exchange their miles for cash credit. Bea explains, “For instance, you booked and paid for your hotel using your PremierMiles Card and it cost you P8,000. You can redeem 5,000 miles for P1,500 worth of credit to offset your hotel spend. And you can also use your miles to pay for your card’s annual fee.”

Bea says, “Citi PremierMiles cardholders are mostly people with families that travel for leisure, but now we’re also seeing single professionals who want to travel smart with their card. It really does provide cardholders unparalleled access to a global network of airline and hotel partners.”

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Book your next family vacation now by calling the Cathay Pacific hotline at 757-0888. If you don’t have a Citi PremierMiles Card yet, apply now by calling 423-3000 or logging on to www.citibank.com.ph.