jingaufta: Relax - More banks offer airport lounge access as perk

রবিবার, ২ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২

Relax - More banks offer airport lounge access as perk

Above: The Rainforest Loungue at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport.

SINGAPORE - Whether they are checking work e-mails in transit or simply relaxing with a drink before a flight, travellers who use airport lounges are growing in number.

At Changi, this trend has spurred more banks to provide access to these facilities as a perk for valued customers.

Nearly 10 banks - including Standard Chartered, OCBC, ANZ and DBS - have tie-ups either with lounge operators or through other partners.

Although the banks declined to reveal numbers, they said such lounges are becoming more popular with travellers.

OCBC is among a handful of banks offering top-tier clients the chance to use the JetQuay luxury terminal.

Only its Elite World Card holders - who typically earn more than $250,000 each a year - are eligible for the benefit, said head of core cards and lifestyle usage Renee Ker.

Travellers using JetQuay - which also offers a dedicated Customs and immigration facility - usually pay a $350 charge that covers a buggy ride to or from the aircraft gate.

ANZ, which works with ground-handling company Sats, started offering its customers lounge access earlier this year, said head of affluent banking Philip Lim.

He said the perk had been "very well-received" and the take-up rate had increased.

ANZ offers selected customers complimentary airport limousine services as well.

Mr Lim said: "We want to make the travel experience more enjoyable and fuss-free, which is why each card offers an end-to-end proposition for customers, comprising the limousine service, lounge access and travel insurance coverage."

Standard Chartered's head of unsecured lending, Ms Sandhya Devanathan, said a recent study shows affluent people in Singapore travel 2.6 times a year for business and 3.1 times for leisure.

This is 1.5 times more than their counterparts elsewhere in Asia, she said.

Businessman Richard Ong, 55, said: "The only downside to more people having access is that lounges seem to be more crowded these days."

Lounges at Changi typically fall into two types.

In the first, which includes SilverKris by Singapore Airlines, the facilities are reserved for clients of specific carriers.

In the second, they are pay-as-you-use and open to all.

They include Rainforest Lounge at Terminal 1, which is operated by Sats, Changi's largest ground-handling firm, as well as Ambassador Transit Lounge at Terminals 2 and 3 and The Ultimate Spa at T2.

Changi's other ground-handler, dnata, operates two lounges, mainly for customers of the airlines it serves.

Charges at the paid-for facilities vary according to the services required.

For example, taking a three-hour nap and a shower at The Ultimate Spa will set you back about $27.

The Rainforest Lounge charges more than $30 for the first four hours, which includes a shower, finger food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Some of the banks also have tie-ups with Priority Pass, a British company that provides travellers with access to more than 600 lounges in about 300 cities around the world.

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