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Cathay, Synchrony and Mastercard® launch Cathay World Elite Mastercard® for U.S. travelers

Cathay, Synchrony and Mastercard® launch Cathay World Elite Mastercard® for U.S. travelers

Offering exclusive flight discounts, a head start to unlocking higher membership status, and enhanced travel benefits

6 May 2025 [New York] Cathay, Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) today announced the launch of the new Cathay World Elite Mastercard®, designed specifically for U.S. residents with a passion for exploring and moving forward in life. The new co-branded credit card combines Cathay's premium travel lifestyle experience with robust rewards and benefits tailored for leisure and business travelers to Hong Kong and Asia.

The new card offers significant savings on Cathay Pacific flights, a head start on unlocking higher status in the Cathay membership program, and a compelling welcome offer of 38,000 Asia Miles after qualifying spend. The card is offered with a US$99 annual fee.

Chris Vanden Hooven, Senior Vice President, Americas at Cathay, said: "Cathay has been dedicated to providing premium travel experiences to U.S. travelers since our founding in 1946, when American Roy C. Farrell co-established the airline with a vision to connect Asia with the world. In that spirit, we're excited to continue our partnership with Synchrony and Mastercard to enhance travel benefits for U.S. customers. The new Cathay World Elite Mastercard was specifically designed to meet the needs of frequent leisure and business travelers residing in the U.S., offering meaningful benefits that enhance their travel experience while providing substantial benefits when traveling and shopping with Cathay."

Premium travel benefits for U.S. cardholders

The Cathay World Elite Mastercard offers a range of travel benefits designed to make journeys with Cathay Pacific more rewarding and comfortable:

  • Exclusive Flight Discounts: Cardholders enjoy a limited-time offer of up to 15% off Economy Flex, Essential and Light fares, and up to 10% off Business and Premium Economy fares when departing from the U.S.;
  • A Head Start on Unlocking Higher Membership Status: Cardholders earn 10 Status Points per US$5,000 spent per month, up to 100 Status Points total annually, helping them get to higher membership status tiers;
  • Priority Airport Experience: Primary cardholders and their companions receive Premium Economy check-in privileges. Cardholders also receive access to Premium Economy boarding lanes on Cathay Pacific flights;
  • Lounge Access Opportunities: Primary cardholders can redeem Asia Miles for entry to Cathay Pacific Business class lounges around the world;
  • Enhanced Asia Miles Benefits: Cardholders enjoy a 10% discount on hotel, car rental, and experience redemptions, plus 10% savings on Asia Miles Gift Miles & Mileage Transfers.1

David Parkes, SVP of Cobrand from Synchrony said: “At Synchrony, we’re committed to creating financial products that align with our partners’ brands while delivering genuine value to cardholders. The Cathay World Elite Mastercard exemplifies this approach, offering benefits that will resonate strongly with travelers.”

Rewarding everyday spending

The card provides the security and convenience of Mastercard’s network and offers a range of benefits to enhance cardholders’ daily lives. It features a compelling rewards structure that allows cardholders to earn Asia Miles on everyday purchases:

  • 3x miles per US$1 spent on eligible travel purchases from Cathay Pacific and HK Express;
  • 2x miles per US$1 spent on dining and eligible dining delivery services;
  • 1x mile per US$1 spent on all other purchases, where Mastercard is accepted.

John Levitsky, Co-President, United States for Mastercard said: “Mastercard is thrilled to partner with Cathay to bring cardholders closer to their passion for travel with the Cathay World Elite Mastercard. Together we are creating a secure and innovative payment solution with valuable benefits that enrich the cardholder experience, whether at home or exploring the world.” ​

Cathay’s Vanden Hooven continued: “With the introduction of this new credit card, Cathay’s legacy of excellence continues by providing signature premium experiences directly to U.S. consumers. The credit card will allow travelers to enjoy the distinctive Cathay service both in the air and through everyday spending. We remain committed to elevating the journey for travelers residing in the U.S. through thoughtful innovations and heartfelt hospitality that have defined Cathay for generations."

Availability

The Cathay World Elite Mastercard is available for applications at www.Cathay.com/MastercardUS. The card is available to eligible residents of the U.S. and its territories. Cathay Pacific’s gateway cities include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and surrounding areas.

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

About Cathay

Cathay is a premium travel lifestyle brand that brings together all that we love about travel with everyday lifestyle. The range of products and services includes flights, holidays, shopping, dining, wellness and payment. All our travel lifestyle offerings are designed to bring customers exciting offers, rewards, and experiences with hand-picked partners.

Flights are provided by Hong Kong's home carrier Cathay Pacific, a premium full-service airline and a founding member of the oneworld global alliance. Cathay also includes the Group's cargo division Cathay Cargo, and low-cost carrier HK Express. We are a member of the Swire Group and are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) as a public company.

For more than seven decades, Cathay Pacific has been connecting our home city of Hong Kong to the world. Now we are bringing that connection to more of our customers’ lives. The new era of Cathay elevates their every bite, tap, step, stay and flight to greater heights. www.cathay.com

About Synchrony

Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country’s most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country’s #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Places to Work®.  For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.

About Mastercard

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. www.mastercard.com


1 See Credit Rewards Terms for details. https://credit.syf.com/essimages/cs/groups/ess_webasset/dualcard/@cathay/en/html/ess011383.html