Deutsche Bank is set to launch a credit card that will allow the users to redeem points — or flight miles — accumulated by booking flight tickets using the card — named WorldMiles credit card — against airline tickets. The WorldMiles credit card is offered in two variants, Platinum and Signature.
To use the service, card holders need to log on to their accounts — created automatically once the card is issued — on myworldmiles.com and buy tickets from any airline (international, domestic, full service as well as low cost) through the portal.
In addition to ‘FlightMiles’ accumulated on tickets purchased on the portal, the user also earns ‘SpendMiles’ for booking the tickets through the card. These SpendMiles, too, can be redeemed against flight tickets. Spends made on the card for purposes other than air travel also yield ‘SpendMiles’. On the Signature variant, every Rs 100 spent will fetch you three SpendMiles — two in the case of Platinum. These miles can be collected in addition to the points you would earn as per the airlines’ frequent flyer programmes.
While such schemes offered by airlines restrict the redemption to their tickets bought from the carrier, this one is airline-agnostic — you can redeem the miles accumulated against tickets of any airline. It also allows you to accumulate miles when you fly low-cost airlines which, barring a few, do not run frequent flyer schemes. You can accumulate the miles if you use the card to book tickets for your family members, friends or associates as well.
There are certain limitations, though. Since the miles earned can be redeemed only against flight tickets, those looking for a diverse rewards programme may not find this offering appealing. The points earned on an airline’s frequent flyer programme cannot be clubbed with the miles earned via this credit card. That is, assuming a traveller has accumulated 500 points on the airline’s frequent flyer programme and another 500 miles on the WorldMiles credit card — and assuming, hypothetically, that 1000 miles entitle a card holder to one free ticket — the two cannot be clubbed together to buy one ticket. The miles accumulated from the card and the airline’s scheme will have to be redeemed separately.
While the joining fee for the Platinum variant is Rs 5,000, one will have to shell out Rs 7,500 for the Signature card. In addition, the annual maintenance fees amount to Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, respectively.
The card and the programme are operational on a pilot basis, and the bank is planning a full-fledged launch shortly.
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