 "Visa cardholders can get free lounge access across Asia if flight delayed")
All eligible Visa cardholders in Asia Pacific will now get instant access to premium airport lounges in the event of flight delays or cancellations.
An enhanced partnership between Collinson, owner and operator of Priority Pass and SmartDelay, and Visa, will allow all Visa cardholders across Asia Pacific access to SmartDelay, Collinson’s airport lounge solution in the case of flight delays or cancellations, with immediate effect.
With the latest flight delay statistics indicating that almost 1 in 5 flights within Asia Pacific are delayed by at least 15 minutes, and with 33 million travellers across the region impacted by flight delays of over 1 hour, there is an increasing need to address travellers’ growing stress and anxiety when they embark on their journeys.
Collinson’s SmartDelay provides customers with instant benefits without the need to complete a claim form. As soon as the traveller is advised of the delay or cancellation, they can instantly redeem lounge access, including complimentary food and beverages at their time of need.
What is SmartDelay and how does it work?
Visa SmartDelay is a unique service that offers complimentary airport lounge access in the event of a flight delay.
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You register your flight with the Visa SmartDelay service before travelling. If the airline announces a delay that meets or exceeds the qualifying delay threshold, you will receive a LoungeKey™ voucher that provides access to a lounge at the airport where you are delayed. LoungeKey™ gives you access to a network of over 1000 airport lounges worldwide.
The service is available to the main passenger and up to 4 additional passengers on the same flight. The names of the additional passengers must be entered as part of the registration journey and all passengers will receive their own individual lounge voucher.
This is a complimentary service to ease any disruption to our cardholders travel plans
How is a delay calculated?
Delays are based on ‘gate’ delay reporting from airlines and airports to FlightStats (our third party flight data tracker). Should FlightStats report a qualifying delay the system will issue the lounge vouchers.
Visa SmartDelay is built to track almost all major commercial airline flights, but there are limitations against airlines/airports that do not report data regularly. Charter airlines are not supported.
When will you be eligible for the lounge?
You will be eligible for the lounge voucher when the following conditions have been met:
You have registered the flight at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure.
A qualifying delay is announced for your flight by the airline.
Access to a lounge which is part of the LoungeKey™ network is available at your airport terminal when the delay occurs.
"Flight delays and cancellations are often an inevitable and frustrating aspect of travel for many consumers. This is why we are delighted to partner with Collinson – our collaboration will offer eligible Visa cardholders with the assurance that they will be well taken care of if they face flight delays or cancellations before the start of any trip," said Conor Lynch, Head of Consumer Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa.
Insights from Collinson’s recent Asia Pacific customer engagement and loyalty research report found that travellers regard lounge access as the most desirable airport travel benefit.
"“With travel across Asia finally open there’s no better time than now to ensure that your customers are fully covered when they choose to travel. We know that flight delays and cancellations are extremely stressful, and through SmartDelay we aim to provide an easy solution to alleviate some of the stress and give travellers a place to relax and enjoy the benefits of the airport lounge," said Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President at Collinson.
Priority Pass Members have access to more than 550 airport lounges and travel experiences in Asia Pacific (with over 60 across all major cities in India), and over 1,400 globally across the world's major travel regions.
The lounge network typically offers more comfortable seating, quiet environments, complimentary snacks and beverages, charging stations, business facilities and entertainment options, as well as lounge alternatives such as spa experiences, sleep pods and discounts at bars and restaurants. For when there is no airport lounge, SmartDelay+ can provide an on-the-go cash substitute, food and drinks voucher, or member rewards, for airline travellers in the event of flight disruptions.
Customers receive cash into a payment account or a digital food and drinks voucher.