Its been a while since I’ve given you an update on the Citibank PremierMiles credit card. If you’re a Citibank Jet Airways credit card holder, the date to convert to the PremierMiles credit card is coming closer and you have one more week to call the Citibank helpline and get your card converted. I recently reviewed the ‘new’ PremierMiles credit card. If you call before 30 June 2012 to convert your card, you get the new Citibank PremierMiles credit card for Rs. 1,000 annual fee and 10,000 PremierMiles in your account after your first transaction.
Here are some pointers to add to your decision-making if you haven’t made your decision yet. Like you know, Jet Airways has been offering 3x miles on top of the existing mileage offered on the usage of the card till July 15th. So, you could be earning 16 miles per Rs. 100 spent.
However, Citibank has been out with some sweet deals of its own to get people started on using the card. You get 10 PMs/Rs. 100 for airline spend, but till 30 Sept 2012, you also get 10 PMs/Rs. 100 for all spends outside India and all spends in hotels (Indian and international).
Here are some new additions to the card offering over the past 2 weeks:
- Delta SkyMiles and Avios have been added as transfer partners to the PremierMiles program, along with Air India Flying Returns, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Air Royal Orchid Plus and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
- For the Visa Signature card holders, you now get 20 trips to the lounges per quarter rather than the 5 trips per quarter as presented earlier.
While I am still crossed with Jet Airways and Citibank about withdrawing JetPrivilege transfer without any notice, I say the card is getting better as things go on. I’m personally spending a lot on this card these days and all my hotel spends and out of India trips are getting charged to this one.
So, there we go, if you want this card, you should pick up the phone and get Citibank to swap your card right away. It takes 3-4 days for the new card to reach you and I hope this current mess with Jet Airways will only help Citibank get a superb product going.
Related Posts:
- Citibank Premier Miles Card changes and special promo on international spends
- Burn Notice: Citibank and Jet Airways – friends turning foes!
- Sunday Plastic: The ‘new’ Citibank Premier Miles Credit Card
- The Citibank Premier Miles Credit Card: It Works!
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Dear AJ
Before making the point about CITBANK’s leadership in running CO-branded cards and more importantly the comment about JET learning from them,I would request you to kindly look at the launch dates for the products you mention above.
Correct me if I am wrong ,but the JACC was launched before the above mentioned products.So one could always argue that CITI used the figures of its cxperience with JET to convince American Airlines for the tie up,and covince itself to launch the PM site…
Dear sir, The Citibank American Airlines co-branded card partnership is in existence since 1987, so, way older than when Jet Airways was even born as a scheduled carrier in India (1993).
As for PremierMiles, Citi launched the first Premiermiles program in Asia in Singapore in 2007. Today, it is available in Malaysia, Bahrain, India, Singapore, hongkong, korea amongst other markets. so, while premiermiles may be a new product concept for India, it is not so much for some other countries.
Dear AJ
Whether it is CITI,HDFC or any other “NICE GUY” the rewards and miles given to customers and also costs of the card issuer always comes out of the transaction involved and as a cost to the transactee in this case “JET or any airline “.I think the expenditure model of the JACC holders made Citi understand the great potential of an airline card and they launched the PM.However JET airways has a great JP and I am sure it would have certainly created many loyalists.The intentions of JET will certainly become clear in the next 6days….
Final point ,You are 100% correct when you say ,today CITI does own the customer,but many like me were gifted by JET to CITI
@Devendra, Citi is a leader in running Co-branded airline cards and indeed I can say Jet learned a few things from them. Citi offers, for instance, the American Airlines card in the USA. The PremierMiles card proposition is one of their products which runs in multiple countries, for instance in Singapore (http://www.citibank.com.sg/gcb/credit_cards/cc_xx_pm.htm) & Malaysia (http://www.citibank.com.my/premiermiles/) before it was introduced in India.
@Devendra RVS – Yes sir, surely I will also remember Citi-JACC with fondness.
@AJ – My Citi-JACC is still active (60 days from date of conversion or 15th July – whichever is earlier) and I have been using it for my transactions. So the question is will I get the benefit of 3x Miles? In the Citibank website, even though I have done transactions through Citi-JACC, the liabilities are shown under the new Citi-PM card number. Spent a good amount of money in last 2 months. Ideally speaking Since I used Citi-JACC for the transactions – I should get the miles. Any idea what does the fine print say?
Dear YKS
You have, I think answered the question yourself which is a big “NO”.JET airways will give triple miles on the miles transfered to it by CITIBANK.As your new liabilities are being shown under the CITI-PM card,JET wont even come to know about it.Remember CITI owns the card and not JET.You will get the 10 miles on airline spends,but you could have got 16,maybe 20 miles for the same spend ,had you waited.I brought up this matter earlier on the forum and AJ advised me to go for the conversion,BUT NOW I AM GLAD I FOLLWED MY OWN INSTINCTS AND WAITED…
JET AIRWAYS GET UR ACT TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH YOUR CARD OFFER FAST….
ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT CITI IS GUIDED BY AMERICAN IDEAS OF CONSUMERISM WHICH WORK VERY WELL IN THE WEST BUT WE INDIANS ARE STILL GUIDED BY EMOTIONS!!!
If I could get hold of stats,It would be interesting to see how many JP SILVER,GOLD and Platinum members go the CITI way, and after having gone stay there, if JET comes up with a good option….???
@Devendra, sorry to break your heart here, but as per information I have … Citi is the nice guy. Jet Airways is the one totally at fault. While I am waiting for the new Jet Airways tieup as well, I am not sure about Jet’s intentions here anymore.
As you yourself said, Citi owns the customer, not Jet. So everyone will get the new PM card by default before 15th July. And for Jet airways new tieup, each bank has a new approval process and for all you know they may not be able to approve the customers citibank did (for instance hdfc is more conservative in approving credit cards than citi)….
@YKS, whatever billing comes to you on a JACC statement will get the 3x miles. Whatever comes under the Premiermiles statement will come as premiermiles
YKS
I have been using credit cards for a long time .I Still have the ANDHRA BANK Card. I must howevever confess that the CITIBANK JACC was only one which I will remember with fondness for a long time or feel emotional about.As regards the CITI-Premiermiles relation ship,it is supposed to a independent one.
That is what CITI claims,but why the “SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR JET ON PREMIERMILES site???
My hunch about the “CITI-PM feeling” that you mention was the same and thanks for confirming it.I have not yet converted and am hoping that JET does bring a card which is as good as the old CITIBANK JACC.
@devendra premiermiles is a program of Citibank itself
special treatment for jet, is actually unfavorable in my view…you get a reward ticket BOM-DEL for 8400 miles on LCC rates and 10500 for a full service. Here, you can be spending 30k premiermiles on a LCC ticket as well given the current ticket rates. I’d save my miles for something else…
Dear AJ
The numbers you state with Reference to the CITI-PM card are very correct.It gives you a lot more choices and also maybe better value for your money.Between CITI and 9W,I would give more marks to CITI for efficiancy,but higher marks to 9W for the warmth. I dont however like the CITI-PM’s Rs 5 lakh cap on AIRLINE SPENDS,..the fact that you cant buy a DEL-JRH ticket on mondays[route served by JET],..and the im-personal feeling while intereacting with the AIRLINE you are flying on…It should be remembered that any Card is after all a pc of plastic and what made JACC great at the end of the day was the friendly 9W staff.SO I AM STICKING TO JET!!!
Hi AJ
Thanks for the response. So in a way the PM-CreditCard is not directly linked to the Premiermiles website? Right?
And I just discovered that PM website has added a note regarding redemption on Jet Airways / Jet Konnect flights. Its a tedious procedure – First Book ticket and then Claim refund!!!
I loved Citi-JACC. Early days still but don’t have the same feeling for Citi-PM.
@yks it is difficult because jet airways does not want to support citibank’s independent efforts…
Dear AJ
Got a couple of calls from CITIBANK asking me to convert.I reasoned with them that as I was enjoying Platnum Status with 9W[and will continue to do so at least till jan 2014] and as in case of the old card I was exempt from the Rs 2500 fee ,I should be exempted from the Rs 1000 fee in this case too.Each time I was told they would call me back but have not done so.Another Point is while booking on 9W website,in the cards option the JACC was top on the list ,for the past couple of weeks it has disappeared altogether.On the Premier miles website try booking a round trip to Mumbai and State 9W as your choice,you will get a message that no flights are available.Though both 9W and Citi send Joint letters to cards holders that other than the “divorce by mutual consent” all is well,it does not seem so!!!!To me it apeears to be that after 15th july it will be either JET or CITI very clearly.Correct me if you think otherwise.
@Devendra things have gone sour with jet/citi and hence to the best of what I know jet does not want to be supportive of citi having an independent card (premiermiles). So, they are working with what they can to make sure citi-pm is not an attractive proposition. Hence you can’t buy jet tickets on citi pm website or redeem miles directly…
Hey AJ
I converted my Citi-JACC to Premier Miles on June 13. Received the card on 16th June. Now the question is how to link this card with the Premier Miles website? I mean where do I get to see the 10K PMs that are (supposed to be) in my account? At the time of registration the Premier Miles website doesn’t ask for the PM Credit Card no. Neither has Citibank sent any mail regarding PM website. Any pointers?
@YKS, you will get the 10K miles after you complete 1 transaction of 1000 rs within first 60 days of getting the card. This will show on your statement from Citi or you can send sms ‘Rewards xxxx’ to 52484 where xxxx are last 4 digits of your card. Only do this from your registered mobile no. with Citi.
Dear AJ
U have not answered my question..If I go the CITI way ,I think I loose the JET 3:1 bonus,and if dont I loose the 10000 miles of the premier miles card ..What if I wait till 15th july ? Citi as per their letter will automatically convert me to Premier Miles unless I send a specific refusal.The question in that case would be will JET still give me the 3:1 bonus??PLEASE READ FINE PRINT AND ADVISE ..
@Devendra,
I haven’t received the letter since I cancelled my JP card long back. Jet will give you the 3:1 bonus yes, because they don’t credit on a per transaction basis. They will simply 3x all the mileage credit instructions they receive from Citi and put that in your account. I don’t think you have anything to worry.
Dear AJ
Here is my report card for JET AIRWAYS CITIBANK PLATINUM CARD
May 12 Billing: 5100 points,June 12 Billing 10800 points,JULY 12 billing[projected 5000 points].Total 20,800 points.additional points on account of 3:1 bonus 62400 points.Grand Total 83,200 points plus PLATINUM BONUS Etc.ETC.
PLEASE ADVISE URGENTLY
@Devendra you’re doing great I say! keep it up!