Press Releases

Citibank and AirAsia tie the knot!
Own a Citibank AirAsia Credit Card and Get Free Flights with Everyday Spending

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11, 2007 – Citibank, the leading card issuer in Asia Pacific and AirAsia, the leading and largest low cost carrier in Asia, today launched the Citibank AirAsia credit card, which will give customers the opportunity to enjoy free flights via an unparalleled evergreen rewards program when they shop at over 25 million outlets worldwide. The Citibank AirAsia credit card will enable card members to earn free AirAsia flights when they use their credit card for their daily purchases. Cardholders will also be able to enjoy special privileges and access to low fare seats during sales - exclusive only to Citibank AirAsia credit cardholders.  Speaking at the launch of the Citibank AirAsia credit card today, Piyush Gupta, Citi Country Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Citibank Berhad said: “AirAsia has revolutionized the airline industry by making air travel for most Malaysians a reality rather than a dream. It has experienced tremendous growth since its inception. From two aircrafts carrying 200,000 passengers to 56 aircrafts, AirAsia today has carried over 33 million passengers, serving over 75 domestic and international routes. “As AirAsia has made traveling affordable and convenient for the masses, it is also making serious inroads into the affluent segment. This is particularly true for family leisure travel and SME (Small & Medium Enterprises) business travel where customers can reduce their travel costs significantly. This is corroborated by the fact that over 65% of Citibank cardholder spend on Air Asia is coming from Gold and Platinum customers. Piyush also said, “The Citibank AirAsia credit card meets the needs of a large number of customers who seek to reduce their travel costs, both for leisure and business travel. It is an effective way of giving our customers a chance to travel more frequently by simply using the Citibank Air Asia credit card for their normal everyday purchases. We believe that this is indeed a winning formula from Citibank and AirAsia as this will enhance our cardholders’ lifestyle!” Commenting on this new partnership between AirAsia and Citibank, Dato’ Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia said, “We are very excited with this new enhanced co-brand partnership, which brings together two organizations that are leaders in their respective industries. As Citibank is a highly recognizable brand in banking solutions with strong regional and global presence, it is an obvious choice for us to partner with them. With our extensive network within the ASEAN region and our plans to grow beyond Asian shores, this co-brand program with Citibank further reaffirms our unwavering commitment towards becoming a truly global brand. It also allows us to tap into Citibank’s client/customer database, which has the largest cardholder base in the region. With this, we strongly believe Citibank is the right partner to support our e-commerce growth.” “As we continue to revolutionize air travel and shape the travel industry in Asia, we have proven that web portal can be a powerful tool for a business and in our case, secured usage of credit card is essential for all online transactions as majority of our bookings come from our website. We have confidence in our partnership with Citibank who shares the same emphasis on security for its customers. With this synergistic partnership with Citibank, we look forward to sharing more exclusive deals and special promotions with our Cardholders,” added Dato’ Tony. AirAsia’s website, www.airasia.com is highly popular, recording 1.3 billion hits and visited by over a million unique visitors on an average month. AirAsia website is the highest and most searched travel portal in the region. Within five years, the website is now surfed by 200 countries with USA, Australia, UK, Japan and China amongst our 2006 Top 10 countries by web traffic breakdown. Piyush further added that this partnership leverages the AirAsia Internet model and Citibank’s Internet banking strength. As more and more customers use the Internet to conduct their banking, it is Citibank’s goal to continue to strengthen its position in the e-banking space on a secure platform. The Citibank AirAsia credit card aims to make it easier for everyone to travel. All cardholders have to do is use their Citibank AirAsia credit card for all their purchases and they will earn one AirAsia point for every one Ringgit they spend on their card. Cardholders can start redeeming RM20 AirAsia vouchers for as little as 3,400 AirAsia points, thus giving most of them the opportunity to enjoy free air travel. Cardholders will also have access to exclusive AirAsia flight offers and enjoy a minimum 24 hours priority booking ahead of the general public. “This strategic partnership provides both parties the ability to strengthen their networks and presence in rapidly growing global markets. Launched against the backdrop of a robust global economy and positive consumer sentiment, companies are working harder to gain a share of the consumer’s wallet. The Citibank AirAsia credit card, a collaboration between two powerful brands, will offer travel seeking consumers significantly more value compared to other credit cards,” commented Piyush. Citibank currently leads in the credit card industry, with a 20% market share of card usage and has over one million customers. About Citi Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi’s major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com. About AirAsia AirAsia has revolutionized air travel in Asia and in five short years has become the leading and largest low fare airline in Asia. Now in its 6th year, AirAsia to date has an astounding fleet size of 54 aircraft, an achievement the young airline is proud to carry. AirAsia together with its associates, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia have carried over 33 million passengers. The airline’s extensive network presently serves over 75 domestic and international routes to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, China (Xiamen, Shenzen and more to come), Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines and Myanmar. In 2006, AirAsia added 13 brand new Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet. The aircraft proves to be a winning choice as AirAsia guests enjoy bigger seating capacity, wider aisle, greater comfort and quieter ride. Airbus A320 is reputed for being the most modern and sophisticated aircraft of its class, with high reliability and low operating costs. With 22 Airbus A320 in operation now, AirAsia will be adding 128 more to its fleet up to 2014, giving it the largest, youngest and most modern fleet in the region. For more information, log on to www.airasia.com.