Elite status at hotel and car rental companies can bring a host of benefits, from complimentary breakfast to upgraded vehicles.
But achieving these lofty tiers are a stretch for the average traveler. Or are they?
Upgraded loyalty status and other travel benefits come with some credit cards, and many of these perks are touted by the banks that issue them.
But some benefits are less advertised. You can find them by going directly to the credit card company itself.
Find your card
In this report, we are accessing benefits from two credit card companies: Mastercard and Visa.
If you have a credit card from either company, take a look at the card to see if you own one of 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 benefits and conditions differ by country, but here are some that Travel found that are available in Asia-Pacific.
Entry-level perks
For those who think that decent perks only come with top tier cards, fear not. Credit card companies grant benefits 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 selected 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 often well publicized.
Top-tier perks
Holders of Mastercard World Elite cards may not know that they quality for “Titanium” status at GHA Discovery, the highest 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 stay 30 nights, or spend $15,000 or stay at three different brands in a calendar year. This level grants members a “double upgrade” on rooms, free breakfast and up to 7% in “rewards currency” that can applied to future stays.
Similarly, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cardholders can book hotels in the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, which come with $25 dining credit, late checkouts and automatic room upgrades, when available, at more than 900 luxury hotels around the world. Brands in the collection include Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Shangri-La and Six Senses hotels.
Is there a catch?
It depends. found that the terms and conditions tied to some offers can be restrictive.
For example, some offers need to be booked via a specific landing page, or are subject to blackout dates. Some “complimentary” offers require a paying customer, before the “free” benefits are handed out.
For elite status programs, memberships lapse after specific periods; thereafter, cardholders must requalify via normal routes. For example, enrollment in the GHA Discovery program starts the year you enroll, and then lasts one more calendar year.
Awareness
Having these benefits is great, but if issuing banks aren’t pushing them, are they being used?
When asked, Mastercard told that a “fair percentage of cardholders are aware of the card benefits, find them relevant and enjoy using them.”
The credit card network also said its top-tier World Elite cardholders, who tend to be affluent, are more likely to use the benefits 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 tend to be well advertised and can be found on the websites for DBS, HSBC and Citibank Singapore.
“As compared to similar travel platforms, cardholder spend on Klook is doubled, and we see nearly four times the number of transactions comparatively,” she said.
She also named another perk that is 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. “This is 100% utilized,” Kim said.
