Malaysia Airlines Partners American Express and Maybank to Launch the First Airline Business Travel Account in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, 26 November 2012 : Malaysia Airlines has partnered American Express and Maybank to offer the MAS American Express® Business Travel Account (BTA), a unique business travel payment solution in Malaysia which helps corporations achieve maximum control over business travel expenses and hence maximize cost efficiency. The BTA enables companies to gain enhanced travel data and insights from their travel management companies, hence helping them streamline and expedite the reconciliation of their travel expenses and manage costs – all through a single company account.
As a globally proven solution, the BTA offers companies a consolidated view of their travel expenditure providing more visibility of their overall travel spend with detailed information such as traveller name, sector information and ticket numbers. This enables companies to enjoy efficient cash flow management as well as policy compliance.
Commenting on this new initiative Malaysia Airlines’ Head for Sales & Distribution, Duncan Bureau said, “This is another milestone for Malaysia Airlines’ to be the first to introduce a co-branded payment solution in Malaysia to reward our corporate customers. Companies that sign up for the MAS American Express BTA will be assigned an Account Manager, and will enjoy substantial savings through discounts for all business-related travel on Malaysia Airlines. We will also offer exclusive perks like free flights, complimentary upgrades, priority seat confirmation and fast track options for eligible staff to benefit from our Enrich Frequent Flyer programme. Essentially, the more they fly with Malaysia Airlines, the more savings and benefits the company will get in addition to easier and enhanced tracking of their air travel spend through BTA.”
Maybank Executive Vice President and Head of Cards and Unsecured Lending, Victor Kaw, disclosed that the MAS American Express BTA is one of many advancements of the American Express Corporate Card program that Maybank advocates in Malaysia. “This innovative and streamlined cost management facility is another benefit that corporations can enjoy in addition to the suite of corporate payment solutions available to them,” he said, “In partnership with Malaysia Airlines and American Express, this is an enhancement of BTA that delivers added value to our corporate clients.”
“Transparency and control are two most important requirements when it comes to efficient travel expense and costs management,” said Ashutosh Agrawal, Vice President, Head of Commercial Card, Asia Pacific, Global Network Services, American Express. “As a worldwide leader in providing travel services and expense management solutions for Corporations, and with our proven track record, American Express is happy to partner with Maybank and Malaysia Airlines to offer the Business Travel Account to companies in Malaysia and assist them in improving the efficiency of their business operations, especially in an environment with an increasing need for cost control.”
Major product features of the MAS American Express® Business Travel Account:
- One single account that reflects a company’s entire travel expenditure and requires only one single payment
- Greater flexibility on a company’s cash flow as it provides up to 55 days’ credit period between transaction date and payment date
- Reduces paperwork and administrative hassles – including cumbersome reimbursement and cash-advances for employees’ travel
- Provides detailed data in an electronic data file, enabling companies to upload this data directly into their back office and expense management systems
- Automatically matches line by line travel expenses with enhanced travel data from their selected Travel Management Company, providing detailed insight into their spend
- Comes with a suite of six standard reports which highlight airline and route usage, as well as spend comparisons, to enhance airline negotiations and the compliance monitoring
The Malaysia Airlines American Express BTA is now available to all new and existing American Express corporate customers.
More information available online at http://www.americanexpress.com.my/bta or Maybank Corporate Customer Service at toll free line 1800889559
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com) is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide across 4 continents. The distinctive Malaysia Airlines brand is an extension of the special culture of warmth and friendliness unique to Malaysians. This inimitable Malaysian sense of graciousness is branded as "Malaysian Hospitality" and symbolized by the acronym MH which is also the airline's flight code. It became the eighth operator of the Airbus A380 aircraft in July this year when it introduced this double deck super jumbo on the Kuala Lumpur-London-Kuala Lumpur route, which will advance to twice daily A380 effective 24 November 2012.
The national carrier of Malaysia is among the industry's most frequent winner of awards for quality service. In the latest SKYTRAX World Airline Awards (2012) announcement, Malaysia Airlines won awards for the World’s Best Airline Cabin Staff, 5-Star Airline and Best Airline Signature Dish for its “Satay”. It has also received the accolade of “World’s Best Cabin Staff” by SKYTRAX over seven years, 2001-2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012 – the most for any airline.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Since 1996, American Express has been pursuing a strategy of opening its merchant network and card product portfolio to third party issuers around the world. By leveraging its global infrastructure and the powerful appeal of the brand, American Express has gained even broader reach for its network worldwide. American Express has now established 139 partnerships in 155 markets across the world. Learn more at www.americanexpress.com/gns.
The Maybank Group is Malaysia’s regional financial services leader with an international network of over 2,200 offices in 19 countries namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and the United States of America.
The Maybank Group today has over 46,000 employees serving more than 22 million customers globally, offering a comprehensive range of products and services that include commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, offshore banking, leasing and hire purchase, insurance, factoring, trustee services, asset management, stock broking, nominee services, venture capital and Internet banking.
In Malaysia, Maybank is the sole issuer and acquirer of American Express cards. The bank likewise dominates the credit card merchant acquiring business in Malaysia with Maybank POS terminals being the only terminals in the industry to accept the most credit cards. For more information, visit www.maybank.com
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