Star Alliance Plans Credit Card For Redeeming Points Across 26 Airlines

[danzig47]

I'm not sure if this belongs here or "Credit in the News". Please move as appropriate.

The summary:

• Will be launched this year
• Will earn points that can be transferred to miles/points in any of the star alliance airlines
• No indication of who the financial partner is yet
• It will be launched intitially in only one market. They did not say which market though.
• If it is successful, they will launch in a second market this year.

[FinStar]

If it's to be moved to the CIN section, do you have a link or source?

[danzig47]

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@FinStar wrote:

If it's to be moved to the CIN section, do you have a link or source?

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Bloomberg reported it, but this link may require a logon:

Star Alliance's New Credit Card Will Let You Redeem Points All Over - Bloomberg

Here are a couple others:

Star Alliance to introduce co-branded credit card, non-air partner | MarketScreener

Star Alliance credit card coming this fall | PaxEx.Aero

[FinStar]

Thanks for the links/resources, OP.

An interesting comment in one of the articles "CEO Jeffrey Goh declined to share which geographic market the card would cover or which bank partner would issue it. He also skipped over pretty much any useful detail on what the benefits would be or how points would be earned and redeemed. He did, however, confirm an expected Q3 2022 launch date." 

So, it remains to be seen which market/financial institution will launch this particular card in 3Q22. The US market appears to be already saturated with so many airline-specific CCs, let alone Star Alliance partner ones.

[cashorcharge]

I'm intrigued...as long as it's not with Chase... I don't need another reason to keep tracking my 5/24

[danzig47]

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@FinStar wrote:

Thanks for the links/resources, OP.

An interesting comment in one of the articles "CEO Jeffrey Goh declined to share which geographic market the card would cover or which bank partner would issue it. He also skipped over pretty much any useful detail on what the benefits would be or how points would be earned and redeemed. He did, however, confirm an expected Q3 2022 launch date." 

So, it remains to be seen which market/financial institution will launch this particular card in 3Q22. The US market appears to be already saturated with so many airline-specific CCs, let alone Star Alliance partner ones.

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I've been thinking about what market this would make sense in, and I've been coming up blank. As you noted, the US market is already saturated, and I have my doubts this card will be competetive here. When you look at where the partner airlines are located, some of the larger ones are in countries with credit card averse cultures (for example Germany). That leaves the smaller markets.

Goh gave no details on any of the benefits of the card either. An accelereated path to star alliance silver/gold would be interesting.  

[iced]

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@FinStar wrote:

Thanks for the links/resources, OP.

An interesting comment in one of the articles "CEO Jeffrey Goh declined to share which geographic market the card would cover or which bank partner would issue it. He also skipped over pretty much any useful detail on what the benefits would be or how points would be earned and redeemed. He did, however, confirm an expected Q3 2022 launch date." 

So, it remains to be seen which market/financial institution will launch this particular card in 3Q22. The US market appears to be already saturated with so many airline-specific CCs, let alone Star Alliance partner ones.

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My thoughts as well. There's already several airline co-brand cards that are part of *A and I would wager the vast bulk of point transfers in the US would go to airlines that already have a co-branded card in the US. I would also imagine the gorilla in the room -- Chase (with United) -- would be none too thrilled to see a path that leaves them excluded from a way to earn UA miles via CC spend and would have something to say/do about this.

[longtimelurker]

OK, first to Australia.   The rewards don't seem that great (after initial SUB) but perhaps the SA Gold status is valuable enough.

First Star Alliance Credit Card to Launch in Australia – FlyerTalk - The world's most popular fr...