Diners Club and BA to launch co-branded card

Diners Club International is to launch its first airline co-branded personal charge card with British Airways in an attempt to tap into the UK business travel sector.

As part of the arrangement with BA, cardholders will earn one Air Mile per 5 spent with the airline and one Air Mile with every 10 on other expenditure.

The British Airways Diners Club Card will be available next week and will allow cardholders to earn Air Miles quickly by “double dipping” (which results when Air Miles are earned using the card to buy other services and goods from companies in Air Miles programmes).

A BA spokeswoman says the arrangement provides the airline with a new target market because every new Diners Club card- holder will automatically join the BA Executive Club. It will also extend loyalty for the two brands which are both strong in their own right and a natural fit, she claims.

Andrew Wilson, sales and marketing director at Diners Club, says the co-branded card will enable the company to increase its share of the 750,000-strong frequent business traveller market.

BA has long been extending its reach into financial services and is thought to be looking at launching a co-branded credit card in addition to the charge card. BA and Diners Club already have a link – BA recommends the card to its employees.

A direct marketing campaign targeting both Diners Club and British Airways Executive Club members will be launched this week.