Collinson International, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, and owner and operator of LoungeKey™, announces its partnership with Kiwi, a Credit-on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) fintech platform headquartered in India. A first for a UPI App in India, this partnership will provide Kiwi users with complimentary airport lounge access to over 45 domestic airport lounges across 22 airports in India. For every ₹50,000 spent via UPI on the Kiwi platform, users are rewarded with one complimentary airport lounge visit, allowing them to elevate their airport experience without the need for registration, physical cards, or additional memberships. Kiwi users can make an airport lounge booking digitally via the Kiwi app, generate a pass or QR code, and simply scan it at the airport lounge entrance to enjoy access. Collinson International's latest APAC research report, 2024 Travel Benefits and Customer Engagement Report, revealed that travel is the second highest expense for respondents in India, accounting for almost a third of annual expenditure. When asked which travel perks they value most, close to half (44%) of respondents ranked airport lounge access as their top travel-related credit card benefit. In addition, the research revealed that close to two thirds of Indian respondents (63%) chose airport lounge access for guests as one of their top five travel-related credit card benefits. Aligned to this, Kiwi plans to further enhance the offering for their customers by launching an additional feature allowing users to extend the airport lounge access benefit to a friend, family member, or travel companion in the coming months ahead.
"Linked to an ever-growing travel demand, travel-related benefits are highly valued by Indian travellers. This is resulting in brands, particularly in the financial services sector, having more opportunities to enhance their customer value proposition with relevant travel-led benefits."
"We are delighted to be partnering with Kiwi to provide access to our airport lounges, and we look forward to welcoming their customers to our network in India moving forward," said Sumit Prakash, Country Director, India and South Asia, Collinson International. Mohit Bedi, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Kiwi said, "At Kiwi, our goal has always been to redefine what a payments platform can offer. With this pioneering new feature, we aim to integrate premium travel privileges into everyday life while encouraging aspirational and responsible spending. As the first UPI App to offer lounge access, Kiwi is setting a new benchmark in delivering convenience, innovation, and lifestyle value to our users."
