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Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that it will be making changes to its Marco Polo Club loyalty programme to reflect the evolving travel needs of its most loyal customers. The airline aims to enhance the overall membership experience through more effective recognition of the contribution made by individual members.
Cathay Pacific has been growing its network in recent years, with the addition of many ultra-long and ultra-short-haul services, as well as making a significant investment in the differentiation of its cabin products. The airline believes that the way members earn their status should move in line with changing customer travel patterns and the evolution of its products over time.
Cathay Pacific Director Sales & Marketing Dane Cheng said: "Customer loyalty is the backbone of our airline and we are grateful for the great support and contribution our Marco Polo Club members have been giving us. The travel industry is ever-evolving and we understand there have been significant changes to the way our members travel in recent years. We must adapt to these changes so that we can continue to help our passengers travel well and ensure they feel properly appreciated."
As part of a comprehensive review of the loyalty programme which has taken valuable feedback from members into consideration, with effect from 15 April 2016 the Marco Polo Club will change to a new points-based system, based on a combination of the cabin customers travel in, the fare class booked and the distance travelled.
This more balanced approach will see members who fly in premium classes earn tier status faster. It will allow members to earn club points from a wider range of fares, including discounted fare types that are currently not applicable to club status.
All popular member benefits, including unlimited lounge access for Silver members and above, as well as priority boarding and check-in, remain unchanged. At the same time, Cathay Pacific will further improve the overall membership experience by introducing more flexible and family-friendly benefits, including:
To support members' transition to the points programme, the Marco Polo Club will convert each member's mileage or sectors into club points, based on which is the most favourable for individual members.
For example, a Gold member who has accumulated 48,000 Club miles as of 15 April 2016 would have accumulated 80% of the 60,000 miles required for Gold renewal. Under the new system, the same ratio will apply in the sense that his or her mileage will be converted to 480 points - that is, 80% of the 600 points required for renewal.
A number of tools, including a club points calculator, have been developed to help members understand the changes, and members can find out more by accessing www.cathaypacific.com/clubchanges or calling the dedicated service line at +852 2683 6788; +800 2683 6788 (International prefix may apply) or email us at clubchanges@cathaypacific.com
The changes will not impact accrual and awards redemption under the Asia Miles rewards programme.
1. New Points-based Earning Grid
The current system of status accrual, which focuses on mileage and sectors flown, will be replaced by a points-based system using a combination of cabin, fare class and distance travelled. The Cathay Pacific and Dragonair accumulation grid is as shown below:
2. Comparison of Current and New Tier Benefits
The club will retain all popular member benefits, including unlimited lounge access for Silver members and above, as well as priority boarding and check-in. Members will also enjoy more flexibility than before with a new range of benefits and family-friendly rewards, as shown below:
3. Comparison of Current and New Tier Qualification
The more balanced approach will see members who fly in premium cabin classes earn tier status faster. At the same time it will allow members to earn club points from a wide range of fares, including discounted fare types (S, N, Q) that are currently not applicable to club status.
