Pack Your Bags: Mastercard Expands Travel Suite
June 23 2022 - 7:01AM
Business Wire
New WhatsApp Communication, Covid Alerts,
Hotel Options and Perks Keep Cardholders Connected and Protected on
the Go
The long-awaited return to travel appears on course. According
to the Mastercard Economics Institute1, if flight
booking trends continue at the current pace, an estimated 1.5
billion more passengers globally will fly in 2022 compared to last
year — and tourists are spending 34% more on experiences than
before the pandemic. To support a smooth return, Mastercard
expanded its Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services platform
with new partnerships that focus on seamless travel experiences and
priceless moments for cardholders, including WhatsApp servicing,
Covid alerts and perks like lounge access when flights are
delayed.
A Platform for Preferred Travel and Priceless
Experiences.
Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services is a travel planning
and booking gateway, granting World and World Elite cardholders
access to exclusive guarantees, amenities and upgrades, 24/7
concierge and premium offers and entertainment from top travel
brands. With the experience economy in full swing, travelers can
ignite their inner wanderlust through the Inspiration Module with
exclusive city guides informed by local experts and member
favorites. For service at the tap of a button, the program now
offers WhatsApp servicing – currently available in several
geographies2 around the world and globally by year’s end – where
members can message Lifestyle Managers about travel and concierge
requests from their phone.
With pivotal perks like Lowest Hotel Rate Guarantee and
Mastercard Hotel Stay Guarantee, cardholders enjoy free nights and
preferential treatment across more than 4,000 4- and 5-star
portfolio properties worldwide. While in destination, travelers can
book once-in-a-lifetime Priceless Experiences from a dream vacation
to London and Paris featuring Michelin-starred restaurants to
luxury glamping in Sweden's Blekinge archipelago to a visit to the
top of New York City’s One World Observatory.
New Travel Partnerships and Premier Programs.
In addition to the preferential experience of Mastercard Travel
& Lifestyle Services, Mastercard has forged a number of new
partnerships to offer benefits that alleviate travel stress and
support more enjoyable journeys. They include:
- Convenience: For delayed flights or relaxing in peace,
cardholders have access to a global network of over 1,100 airport
lounges. Recent expansions include Mastercard Flight Delay Pass,
now available in geographies worldwide3 for complimentary lounge
access on qualifying delayed flights. Also newly launched is
FastTrack in Europe to beat the queue and Mastercard Travel Pass in
Canada for a hassle-free airport experience.
- Connection: Launched first in Asia Pacific and to other
regions within the year, select cardholders now have access to
complimentary global roaming data packs for use in more than 200
destinations, with a 15% Mastercard discount on top-ups through
Flexiroam.
- Care: Cardholders can opt-in to receive real-time
notifications and the latest in COVID restrictions and requirements
including testing locations and pricing through Sitata.
- Comfort: Accessible anytime, anywhere, the new
mycardbenefits.com4 is a digital insurance platform for Mastercard
cardholders to immediately see - and seamlessly process - claims
for the insurances included on their card — such as car rental,
lost luggage replacement, cell phone and trip cancellation.
- Cash Rewards: Shop and receive cash rewards with
Mastercard Travel Rewards at hundreds of marquee merchants in 19
destinations and thousands of online offers for unique
savings5.
“Many of us eagerly await the chance to satisfy our love for
travel, but it can be stressful to plan a trip with so many
uncertainties about what traveling will look like,” said
Mastercard’s Stephanie Meltzer-Paul, executive vice president,
Global Loyalty. “At Mastercard, we’re here to support every step of
the journey — from planning to booking to transportation to
experiences in destination — so travelers can focus on what really
matters. After two years of disruptions, we know that time with our
loved ones is truly priceless.”
In addition to servicing cardholders directly, Mastercard is
helping governments, businesses, and brands understand shifting
consumer trends and preferences, in order to design and test
programs and incentives. From market analysis and insights to
marketing solutions and consumer engagement strategies, Mastercard
services provide customers what they need to welcome back
travelers. Most recently, the Tourism Innovation Hub in Spain was
launched to develop tailored products and solutions to support a
sustainable, inclusive return to travel through innovation,
research and collaboration across the ecosystem.
For World and World Elite cardholders, member registration for
Mastercard Lifestyle & Travel Services can be found here.
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments
industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital
economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions
safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks,
partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help
individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses
realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ,
drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our
company. With connections across more than 210 countries and
territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks
priceless possibilities for all.
www.mastercard.com.
1 Findings based on Travel 2022: Trends and Transitions report,
which draws on aggregated & anonymized sales activity in the
Mastercard network and a unique analysis of publicly available
travel data. 2 Available for issuer implementation in North
America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, and markets in
Latin America. 3 Now available in the U.S., Latin America,
Caribbean and across issuers in Europe and Asia-Pacific. 4
Hyperlink accessible for cardholders in North America now and
additional geographies will be live later this year. 5 Please refer
to Eligible Issuer Card for Program Terms & Conditions.
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Alyssa O'Brien (914) 336-1981 Alyssa.O'Brien@mastercard.com
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