Collinson, owner and operator of Priority Pass and SmartDelay, today announced its partnership with Visa, a world leader in digital payments. The partnership will enable Priority Pass, the leading global airport experiences programme to offer eligible Visa cardholders in Asia Pacific instant access to premium airport lounges in the event of flight delays or cancellations, through SmartDelay.
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.
Insights from Collinson’s recent Asia Pacific customer engagement and loyalty research report - The New Rules of Engagement: Customer Expectations Revealed – found that travellers regard lounge access as the number one most desirable travel benefit at the airport. By equipping travellers with SmartDelay, it automatically addresses a pressing pain-point and improves cardholder service by immediately easing the pain of flight delays or cancellations.
Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President at Collinson, said, “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."
Conor Lynch, Head of Consumer Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa, said, “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.” *Data is sourced from Cirium and the data set reflects data from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
