Elite status at hotel and automotive rental corporations can bring a number of advantages, from complimentary breakfast to upgraded vehicles.
But achieving these lofty tiers are a stretch for the typical traveler. Or are they?
Upgraded loyalty status and other travel advantages include some bank cards, and plenty of of those perks are touted by the banks that issue them.
But some advantages are less advertised. You’ll find them by going on to the bank card company itself.
Find your card
On this report, we’re accessing advantages from two bank card corporations: Mastercard and Visa.
If you have got a bank card from either company, take a take a look at the cardboard to see for those who own one in all these:
- Mastercard: Standard or Gold Mastercard, Mastercard Platinum or Titanium, Mastercard World, Mastercard World Elite
- Visa: Visa Classic, Visa Gold, Visa Platinum, Visa Signature, Visa Infinite
Card advantages and conditions differ by country, but listed here are some that CNBC Travel found which can be available in Asia-Pacific.
Entry-level perks
For individuals who think that decent perks only include top tier cards, fear not. Bank card corporations grant advantages to entry-level card holders too.
Holders of a Standard Mastercard are entitled to a complimentary extra night at Capella Hotels and Resorts (with certain restrictions and at chosen properties) and automatic “Gold” status in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts loyalty program, which comes with accelerated points earnings and late check-outs.
Holders of Visa Classic cards can get 20% off participating restaurants under its “Dine and Save” program, but this and other discounts with airlines and travel booking portals, are sometimes well publicized.
Top-tier perks
Holders of Mastercard World Elite cards may not know that they quality for “Titanium” status at GHA Discovery, the very best tier of the Global Hotel Alliance’s hotel loyalty program. The alliance includes 45 hotel brands, including Capella, Parkroyal, and Pan Pacific hotels and resorts.
Meanwhile, Mastercard World cardholders can get “Platinum” status at GHA Discovery, the second highest tier.
Normally, qualifying for Titanium status requires a traveler to remain 30 nights, or spend $15,000 or stay at three different brands in a calendar 12 months. This level grants members a “double upgrade” on rooms, free breakfast and as much as 7% in “rewards currency” that may applied to future stays.
Similarly, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cardholders can book hotels within the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, which include $25 dining credit, late checkouts and automatic room upgrades, when available, at greater than 900 luxury hotels world wide. Brands in the gathering include Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Shangri-La and Six Senses hotels.
Is there a catch?
It depends. CNBC found that the terms and conditions tied to some offers may be restrictive.
For instance, some offers have to be booked via a particular landing page, or are subject to blackout dates. Some “complimentary” offers require a paying customer, before the “free” advantages are handed out.
For elite status programs, memberships lapse after specific periods; thereafter, cardholders must requalify via normal routes. For instance, enrollment within the GHA Discovery program starts the 12 months you enroll, after which lasts yet another calendar 12 months.
Awareness
Having these advantages is great, but when issuing banks aren’t pushing them, are they getting used?
When asked, Mastercard told CNBC that a “fair percentage of cardholders are aware of the cardboard advantages, find them relevant and revel in using them.”
The bank card network also said its top-tier World Elite cardholders, who are likely to be affluent, usually tend to use the advantages than other cardholders.
Adeline Kim, Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei, said discounts on bookings at Klook, a travel booking platform, have been “utilized effectively.” Klook discounts are likely to be well advertised and may be found on the web sites for DBS, HSBC and Citibank Singapore.
“As in comparison with similar travel platforms, cardholder spend on Klook is doubled, and we see nearly 4 times the variety of transactions comparatively,” she said.
She also named one other perk that’s popular with card holders. Visa Infinite cardholders in Singapore enjoy golf discounts at Sentosa Golf Club and Tanah Merah Country Club on weekdays, excluding public holidays. “That is 100% utilized,” Kim said.
