Airmiles Changes Cards

4th May 2007

NatWest credit card customers are to be offered a new travel reward scheme from June this year as the Airmiles loyalty scheme ends what has been a long partnership with Natwest in favour of rival bank Lloyds TSB.

NatWest credit card users who wish to stick with the Airmiles scheme will now have to switch to Lloyds TSB's new Duo card which offers Airmiles at an accelerated collection rate of up to one mile per £10 spent. Lloyds TSB Duo customers will be given two cards on the same account, one as an American Express card that earns one Airmile for each £10 spent, and one as a Mastercard which gives one Airmile for each £20 spent for the first six months but just one Airmile for every £50 after that.

NatWest is to promote its new “YourPoints” scheme where rewards can be redeemed through Ebookers, the online travel agent, and also through low-cost airline Easyjet. NatWest says it will be writing to holders of it's Airmiles credit cards telling them of the switch from Airmiles to YourPoints. Existing NatWest cardholders will be required to phone the bank to register for the new “YourPoints” scheme otherwise they will stop earning rewards of any kind after their June statements.

“Customers have told us they no longer valued Airmiles as they once did. YourPoints gives people the choice, flexibility and value they have come to expect now when they make their travel plans" said a NatWest spokesman.