Barclays announced a new relationship today with Dubai-based airline, Emirates. The new partnership will result in a co-branded credit card – Emirates’ first for the U.S. marketplace.
What We Know So Far
Few details are currently available. The card will likely be a World Mastercard – keeping with the current Barclays line-up of airline credit cards.
The announcement came in the quarterly conference call with investors. While Barclays gave no date for the roll-out of the new card, the notion that the discussion of the partnership was in the past tense is intriguing. This seems to imply the relationship began much earlier than initially thought. It may also indicate the card’s launch to be imminent.
Barclays CEO Jes Staley believes the new partnership offers tremendous potential for both parties. According to Sately, “This is a great growth opportunity for Barclays, adding to the strong and profitable partnerships we have with top brands in the U.S. like American Airlines and Uber.”
Emirates Skywards
The new card will earn rewards in the Emirates Skywards rewards program. While Emirates isn’t partnering with the “big three” airline alliances, it does have some useful codeshares for passengers. Currently, the airline has agreements with JetBlue, JAL, Alaska Airlines, and Korean Air.
While the Skywards program has less appeal to some U.S. travelers the real value in airline cards is the perks. Access to Emirates lounges, seat upgrades, and other benefits might be enough to lure current AAdvantage MileUp Card or SkyMiles Platinum Cardholders over to Barclays.
The addition of Emirates to the Barclays portfolio of credit cards is an enticing proposition for many travelers. First, because Barclays cards currently come with quality introductory bonuses for reasonable minimum spending. Second, because Emirates offers one of the finest in-flight experiences in the world.
About Barclays
Barclays is one of the U.S. leaders in co-branded airline credit cards. The bank currently has relationships with several U.S. and European carriers. This list includes American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, and Lufthansa.
Related Article: Delta Announces Changes to SkyMiles Credit Cards
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