FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Standard Chartered cardholders charge 61% of travel
spending on no-frills flying
AirAsia leads with 51% share
Kuala Lumpur, 29 October 2014 — Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered)
cardholders spent 61% of their travel expenses with low-cost carriers between October 2013
and September 2014.
AirAsia was the dominant airline, accounting for 51% of the total travel spending and 83% of
the low-cost carrier category.
Amnah Ajmal, Head of Retail Banking Products, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, said:
“One of the main factors behind this trend is the growing popularity of low-cost carriers,
especially for intra-regional travel. Consumers are becoming savvier with the availability of
information and popularity of price comparison websites.”
“To meet the demands of value-conscious travellers, we collaborated with AirAsia BIG to
offer our Standard Chartered WorldMiles cardholders an unprecedented range of travel deals
and packages. This has earned WorldMiles the title of ‘Best Travel Card’ by one of the most
popular personal finance websites in Malaysia,” she added.
The Standard Chartered WorldMiles credit card was introduced in April 2013 and is targeted
at frequent flyers and those who enjoy travelling. Cardholders can accumulate air miles from
three partner airlines in a fast and cost efficient manner.
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In the first three quarters of this year, WorldMiles cardholders spent 81% more on travel,
hotel and related expenses compared with 2013. Air fares comprised 64% of their total travel
spending.
AirAsia BIG’s Chief Executive Officer, Alice Goh said, “We are pleased that Standard
Chartered cardholders are enjoying new travel experiences with AirAsia BIG. AirAsia BIG is
all about giving our customers more value and making travel more attainable. We continually
innovate together with partners such as Standard Chartered to offer big rewards for our loyal
customers.”
Low-cost carriers are playing a significant role in shaping the future of the airline industry in
Malaysia, bringing double digit growth in the low-cost air travel sector every year over the
past decade. Outbound travel remains mainly within the Asia Pacific region with Thailand,
Indonesia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong making up about three quarters of Malaysia’s
total outbound travel.
Recognising trends in the Asia Pacific markets, Standard Chartered and AirAsia BIG have
tailored new offerings to better serve their travel-savvy clientele. Among some of the offers
are:

WorldMiles cardholders are entitled to redeem two return tickets to destinations such as
Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Osaka and Shanghai from only 20,000 AirAsia BIG
points

New WorldMiles credit card applicants stand to receive 30,000 AirAsia BIG points upon
activation

Redeem 3,000 Standard Chartered credit card points for 1,000 AirAsia BIG points.
- END -
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For further information please contact:
Geraldine Tan
Head, Business Corporate Affairs
Corporate Affairs Malaysia
Standard Chartered Bank
Tel: +603 2117 7821
Mobile: +6012-907 1740
Email: [email protected]
FY Phoon
AirAsia BIG
Think Big Digital Sdn Bhd
Tel: +603 2082 0965
Mobile: +6012 218 6878
Email: [email protected]
Note to Editors:
Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group. It has operated for over 150 years in some of the
world's most dynamic markets and earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the
Middle East. This geographic focus and commitment to developing deep relationships with clients and customers
has driven the Bank’s growth in recent years. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong
stock exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India.
With 1,700 offices in 70 markets, the Group offers exciting and challenging international career opportunities to
over 88,000 staff. It is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and upholding high
standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity.
Standard Chartered’s heritage and values are expressed in its brand promise, ‘Here for good’.
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Standard Chartered in Malaysia
Standard Chartered Bank, a member of the Standard Chartered Group was established in Malaysia in 1875 and
incorporated as Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad in 1984. As Malaysia’s first bank, Standard
Chartered leads the way through product innovation, consistent and strong growth performance and sustainability
initiatives. The Bank provides a comprehensive range of financial products and services to corporates,
institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals through its network of 43 branches across
Malaysia.
In 2001, Standard Chartered UK established its third global technology & operations centre, Scope International,
in Malaysia – the first international bank to do so in the country. Scope International provides software
development, banking operations, IT support services and customer service capabilities to the Bank in up to 70
countries. It now houses the biggest software development company in the country, International Software Centre
Malaysia (ISCM) and has a total workforce of more than 3,200 people.
Price Solutions Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank UK is also located in Malaysia.
The company promotes and markets Standard Chartered’s financial products in Malaysia through a network of
direct sales agents.
Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad (Saadiq), Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia’s Islamic Banking subsidiary
was established in November 2008. It offers a full suite of Syariah-compliant products and services to individuals
and corporates through its dedicated branches. In 2012, Saadiq established Kuala Lumpur as its global hub for
Islamic consumer banking.
Standard Chartered employs close to 7,000 employees in all its Malaysian operations.
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About AirAsia BIG
AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme is operated by Think Big Digital Sdn. Bhd., a joint venture between AirAsia and
Tune Money. AirAsia BIG is the global points currency serving AirAsia and the Tune Group. Under the
programme, members earn BIG points from AirAsia, Tune Talk, Tune Hotels, and many other partners including
Budget, Avis, Starhub, Petronas, WCT Holdings Berhad and major banks such as DBS, Citibank, CIMB, Standard
Chartered Bank, Bank Mandiri, CIMB Niaga, BRI, Bangkok Bank and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). In
conjunction with Tune Money, Think Big Digital provides the loyalty program for the BIG Visa Prepaid Card, cobranded and affinity payment products, giving cardholders the opportunity to earn Points and redeem for AirAsia
flights and many other specialty merchandise and hotel rewards.
For more information, please visit: www.airasiabig.com.
About the AirAsia Group
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with 88 destinations.
Within 12 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 230 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft
to over 160. The airline today is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with
established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and India, servicing a network
stretching across all Asean countries as well as China, India and Australia. AirAsia was named the World’s Best
Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for six consecutive years from 2009 – 2014.
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