American Express and Singapore Airlines extend partnership to support SME growth in Singapore

August 02, 2019 - 02:36
American Express and Singapore Airlines extend partnership to support SME growth in Singapore

  • The new American Express SingaporeAirlines Business Credit Card will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)better manage cash flow and turn business expenses into benefits
  • SMEs will get up to 8.5 HighFlyerpoints for every S$1 spent -- worth up to 8.5% in savings -- and 0% interest on instalmentsover six months on Singapore Airlines flights
  • Travel benefits include complimentary airport loungeaccess, accelerated upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, and Accor Plus membership withan annual complimentary night's stay


SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 2 August 2019 - American Express and Singapore Airlines are extending their 20-year partnershipwith the launch of the American Express Singapore Airlines Business Credit Card.This new Card will help SMEs better manage their businesses, fund theirexpansion efforts, all while enjoying a number of premium travel benefits.

 

According to a survey by AmericanExpress and Singapore Airlines, most SME owners are bullish -- with more than 74%expecting to grow their businesses in the next 12 months. That said, more thanhalf of the respondents say that increasing competition and cash flowmanagement keep them up at night, and one in three feels challenged taking theirbusiness overseas.

 

"Our survey shows that Singapore SMEs are optimisticabout growth, but cash flow and overseas expansion are ever-present concerns,"said Mr. Geoff Begg, Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Services for AsiaPacific, American Express. "American Express and Singapore Airlines arebringing the first SME business travel card to give them access to creditterms, more savings, and a suite of travel benefits -- to support their ambitionsand help them overcome these challenges."

 

"Singapore Airlines' HighFlyer Programme was launched twoyears ago to reward and support SMEs, including in their endeavours to expandoverseas," said Mr. Campbell Wilson, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing,Singapore Airlines. "We are excited to now partner American Express to take theprogramme further with the new American Express Singapore Airlines BusinessCredit Card. This new product enables SMEs to maximise their HighFlyerprivileges by earning more rewards faster, which can be redeemed for a range ofbenefits that improve their bottom line even as employees themselves continueto earn KrisFlyer miles for their own personal benefit."

 

SAVVY, FREQUENTTRAVELERS PRIORITISING VALUE, FLEXIBILITY AND PEACE OF MIND

 

According to the SMEs Go Places Survey, SME owners travelat least once every six weeks for business, while 70% of SMEs have employeestravelling two or more times per month. These frequent travellers prioritise value,convenience and flexibility, with 47% citing the importance of havingcomplimentary travel insurance when it comes to corporate airline programmes.

 

Nine in 10 SMEs surveyed havedealings overseas, with one in three of them citing lack of access to capitaland cash flow as key inhibitors to international expansion.

 

"SMEs have different needs and they don't always get thesame level of support as larger companies. Our survey reaffirms this as 59% ofSMEs said partnering established companies for guidance and support would havemade their expansion overseas easier. This is precisely why American Expressand Singapore Airlines are bringing the first business travel card for SingaporeSMEs to support them by turning their business expenses into rewards," said Ms.Celine Chua, Vice President, Global Commercial Servicesfor Singapore, American Express.

 

To support SMEs, the American Express SingaporeAirlines Business Credit Card offers a suite of benefits:

 

REWARDS

  • Earn up to 8.5 HighFlyerpoints forevery S$1 spent on all eligible Singapore Airlines Group flights and 1.8HighFlyer points per S$1 for other eligible spending.
  • Easilyuse HighFlyer points to offset future travel with no caps, no blackoutperiods and no restrictions through a simple, one-stop portal.
  • Enjoy 0% interest on instalmentsover six months on Singapore Airlines flights (beginning in October 2019) and up to 51interest-free days.
  • EarnHighFlyer points for the businesses, while employees continue to earnKrisFlyer miles when flying with Singapore Airlines.


TRAVEL BENEFITS

  • Travelwith peace of mind with complimentary travel insurance when traveltickets are purchased with the American Express Singapore Airlines Business CreditCard.
  • Accelerate to KrisFlyer EliteGold statuswith spending of S$15,000 or more on eligible spend with the Singapore AirlinesGroup in the first year of Card Membership.
  • Enjoytwo complimentary visits to 1,200 airport lounges worldwide with PriorityPass.
  • Resteasy with a complimentary Accor Plus membership, which includes acomplimentary night stay every year, up to 50% off dining across 1,100restaurants in Asia Pacific, and more.
  • Taketo the road with Hertz Gold Status, which gives members 10% off bestavailable retail rates, one car class upgrade for rentals, and more.

 

WELCOME OFFER

Card Members enjoy a bonusof up to 50,000 HighFlyer points when they spend on the Card. This includes:

  • 5,000first spend bonus HighFlyer points when they spend S$500 with the SingaporeAirlines Group in the first year of their membership,
  • 30,000welcome bonus HighFlyer points when they spend S$5,000 in the first threemonths of their membership, and
  • 15,000annual loyalty bonus HighFlyer points when they spend S$10,000 per year on the SingaporeAirlines Group.

 

The American Express Singapore Airlines BusinessCredit Card joins four existing Singapore Airlines and American Express consumerproducts.

 

Fordetails, terms and conditions, visit https://americanexpress.com/sg/business. For more info on theSMEs Go Places Survey, refer to the attached infographic.


ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS

AmericanExpress is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers withaccess to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and buildbusiness success.  Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpresssingapore, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

 

ABOUTSINGAPORE AIRLINES

TheSIA Group's history dates back to 1947 with the maiden flight of MalayanAirways Limited. The airline was later renamed Malaysian Airways Limited andthen Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). In 1972, MSA split into SingaporeAirlines (SIA) and Malaysian Airline System. Initially operating a modest fleetof 10 aircraft to 22 cities in 18 countries, SIA has since grown to be aworld-class international airline group.

 

ABOUT SMES GO PLACES SURVEY

In June 2019, AmericanExpress and Singapore Airlines commissioned the SMEs Go Places Survey online tostudy 200 Singapore SME senior executives' outlook, experience going overseas,and their business travel habits. The respondents' businesses have annualrevenues of under S$20 million.

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