Citibank unveils Citi Travel Pass

The Citi Travel Pass Card cardholders can earn points on Card spend and redeem them for free tickets at on an array of airlines operating in the UAE with no black out period conditions. What's more, cardholders can top up their CITI Citi Travel Pass Points with Cash and fly for less.

For example, a flight to Beirut requires 19,000 points on Citi Travel Pass versus 25,000 or more during peak periods, on other Miles programs. This means that the cardholder can fly anytime for less to destinations such as India, Pakistan, Beirut, Egypt, etc.

Furthermore, Citi Travel Pass cardholders are entitled to 2 free return flight vouchers to exotic locations in India, Thailand, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon and more... The cardholder needs to spend as little as Dhs2000 to qualify for the first free flight voucher, and Dhs30,000 within the first twelve months of membership to qualify for the second voucher.

Other unique travel benefits offered on the card Include exclusive ticket discounts of up to 15% on select airlines, and exceptional rates on resorts, hotels, holiday packages and cruises through complementary membership with "Our Vacation Club", offering a bonus credit of US$ 100 to be redeemed on the first holiday purchase.

"With a 20% per annum growth and market spend crossing $7bn by end of 2007, the UAE travel market is ranked among the most dynamic frequent flyer markets around the globe," said Dean Proctor, Citibank's Cards Business Head in the UAE. "This certainly calls for a solid card proposition, such as Citi Travel Pass, to address the growing travel needs of UAE residents, especially with the increased choice of airlines operating in the country.

"Through Citi Travel Pass, We are leveraging our partnerships with travel service providers so cardholders can collect great value on daily transactions while earning them several round trip flights back home or to other destinations at least twice a year."

Cardholders can also top up their points with cash and fly for less with their immediate family members. They can also earn 10,000 bonus Citi Travel Pass points overnight by successfully referring only three friends or family members.

Sanjoy Sen, Consumer Business for Citibank in UAE, added: "The strong features of Citi Travel Pass directly address the needs of customers with a desire for more flexibility when it comes to travel plans. Cardholders now have the choice of many airlines to book their flights using their earned points, with no blackout periods. These and other salient features of the card render it truly the market's one-stop travel card."

Citi Cards is part of Citi, the leading global financial services company, and the world's largest credit card issuer with more than 170 million cards in issue in 50 countries worldwide. Citi is a global leader in partnership credit cards, with leading airlines, retail, telecoms, oil and gas companies as key partners around the world.

Citi has been in the Middle East for nearly 50 years and currently offers consumer-banking services in the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. In the UAE alone, Citibank, the consumer banking arm of Citigroup, has had a presence for the past 42 years and is expanding its major operations within the country. The bank is currently a major player in the UAE's credit card market and a leading provider of banking, Wealth Management and Consumer credit services.