Cathay Pacific, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, has revamped its Business Plus loyalty program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and growing businesses. The new program aims to provide more rewards and benefits for business travellers, such as access to Cathay’s iconic lounges, the ability to transfer miles to employees, and special promotions and discounts.
Business Plus: A Self-Service Travel Platform
Business Plus is a corporate loyalty program that allows SMEs and growing businesses to manage their business travel in a self-service travel platform. Members can earn Business Status Points and Asia Miles that count towards three tiers: Silver 1, Silver 2, and Silver 3. The higher the tier, the higher the earn rate and the more benefits available.
The passengers (i.e. employees) continue to earn their own personal status points and miles as usual too. Cathay says that Business Plus members can now earn Asia Miles to their company Business Plus account rather than their personal accounts. This gives them more flexibility and control over how they use their miles.
Redeem Rewards with Asia Miles
One of the main features of the new Business Plus program is the ability to redeem rewards with Asia Miles. Asia Miles is Cathay’s frequent flyer program, which offers a range of flight, hotel, and lifestyle redemptions. Business Plus members can use their Asia Miles to redeem rewards such as:
- Cathay frequent flyer program silver membership, equivalent to oneworld Ruby status, which offers benefits such as priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling, as well as access to oneworld business class lounges.
- Lounge passes that can be used at Cathay’s iconic lounges in Hong Kong (the Pier, the Wing, and the Deck) and more locations around the world.
- Flight upgrade vouchers that can be used to upgrade from economy to premium economy or from premium economy to business class on eligible flights.
Business Plus members can also transfer their Asia Miles to any employee’s individual Cathay account for flight, hotel, and lifestyle redemptions. Alternatively, they can gift their Asia Miles to other travellers who are not part of the program.
Enjoy Special Promotions and Discounts
Another perk of the new Business Plus program is the access to special promotions and discounts. Cathay says that the program will offer discount fares, seasonal campaigns, and exclusive deals for members. The frequency and availability of these offers will depend on the level of spend and the tier of the member.
For example, Business Plus members may be able to enjoy:
- Lower fares on selected routes and destinations
- Extra miles or lounge passes for booking certain flights or classes
- Free upgrades to premium economy or business class for reaching a certain amount of spend or status points
Cathay says that these promotions and discounts will be communicated through email newsletters and online platforms.
Cathay Pacific: A Leader in Customer Experience
Cathay Pacific has been busy in 2023, taking advantage of no COVID restrictions and booming global travel, and reasserting its position as an international hub. In the midst of all this, the carrier is making changes to its loyalty programs, both business and personal.
Last week, Cathay confirmed an updated business class experience as part of a redesign of its long-haul Boeing 777-300ER cabins from 2024. This will be followed by a new world-leading first class cabin onboard its upcoming 777-9 aircraft, which are scheduled to join the Cathay fleet in 2025.
Cathay also announced a revamp of its loyalty program for individuals, resulting in devaluations for premium economy, business, and first class award tickets. Economy long-haul and ultra-long-haul redemptions have slightly decreased, making upgrades more viable. However, passengers can still take advantage of good redemptions until October 1st.
Cathay Pacific’s vice president for global sales, Stephen Lawson, said: “Cathay is committed to constantly enhancing our customer experience and product offering. As we come out of the pandemic, our customers’ needs have changed, and we have acted quickly, investing even during the pandemic, to make sure we keep offering the best-in-class customer experience.”
