NatWest launches new credit card travel reward programme

NatWest has announced that it is launching a new travel reward programme. It has joined forces with ebookers, one of Europe’s largest online travel agents and secured the first ever reward deal with easyJet. The YourPoints programme will replace the Bank’s 19-year old relationship with the AIRMILES scheme from June. The airline and travel industry has changed beyond recognition since the AIRMILES partnership was established in 1988 and many customers now require ultimate flexibility. They also choose to fly with low-cost airlines and use travel websites to take advantage of special offers.

YourPoints allows customers to choose any flight, to any place, at any time as well as a wide range of other travel options – if the flight or travel package is available through ebookers or easyJet, it’s available to buy with YourPoints. This gives customers a much greater degree of choice on where, when and how they travel. It also means that for the first time there are no restrictions, no black-out days: and airport taxes can be paid for in YourPoints.!

NatWest has also secured a first deal with easyJet to allow its customers to buy easyJet flights with YourPoints, the first loyalty programme that allows customers to do this.

YourPoints allows customers to take advantage of the low-cost airlines which means they can often travel further for very much less. For example, to go to Paris in April, a spend of £8,000 on your NatWest card would be needed with AIRMILES and with YourPoints, a spend of £4,300.

The new programme comes into effect from the date customers receive their June credit card statement. At this point customers will cease to collect Airmiles on their credit or charge card and will start to collect YourPoints. Customers’ existing Airmiles are unaffected and they can spend them as usual. From June, customers who choose to enrol in the new programme will start collecting YourPoints. Customers earn one point for every £1 (of qualifying spend) but with the added benefits of greater choice and flexible pricing.

Dennis Jones, Director of Personal Cards at RBSG said: “The way that customers travel has changed since we introduced the UK’s first credit card reward programme almost twenty years ago: customers have told us that they no longer valued Airmiles as they once did. We’ve built YourPoints from scratch, in response to customer feedback. It gives people the choice, flexibility and value they’ve come to expect now when they make their travel plans. We’re delighted to be able to say that this really is a programme that allows customers to take any seat, any route, any time, anywhere – if that seat’s available, it’s yours.”

Alan Josephs, Managing Director of ebookers.com commented further, "YourPoints, driven by ebookers.com, is possibly the most innovative travel redemption scheme available today, as customers won't be restricted to one airline or limited seat availability when they come to using their points. Instead customers will be able to choose from a vast range of airlines, hotels and car hire which are available on the ebookers.com site, making travel to many worldwide destinations cheap and easy. We are delighted to be working with RBS on this scheme and particularly since RBS customers specifically favour the travel products offered on the ebookers.com website."

Initially, YourPoints is only available to existing NatWest customers who collected Airmiles with their credit cards. The programme is designed to reward loyal customers who regularly use their card and will be free to customers who spend more than £1,000 a month . Other customers who want to join the programme will pay £3 per month. Customers will receive information on how to enrol over the next few weeks.