THE ELITE, ASIA’S NEWEST PRESTIGE CLUB, OPENS FOR ENROLMENT

The Elite, the loyalty club designed to recognise and reward Dragonair’s most frequent fliers, has opened for enrolment. The club was launched late last year with membership initially by invitation only.

Through The Elite we are able to offer our most loyal customers a range of benefits and privileges that are designed exclusively for them," said James Yeung, Dragonair’s General Manager Commercial. These include access to Dragonair Lounges in Hong Kong and Kaohsiung, advance seat reservation, extra luggage allowance and priority handling.

"Combined with special offers from top-level partners in other travel-related fields, such as hotels, limousine services and duty-free outlets, membership of The Elite provides real rewards."

The Elite currently has two membership tiers: Platinum and Gold. All members enrol at the Gold level and can upgrade to the Platinum level depending on how often they have flown with Dragonair.

To qualify for membership at the Gold level, the applicant must have flown 10 sectors in Full-fare Economy Class, or equivalent in certain fare classes, on Dragonair in three consecutive months within the past six months. Application forms are available at Dragonair check-in desks, lounges and ticketing offices.

The opening of enrolment to The Elite follows the just-completed upgrade of the airline’s A330 fleet. The addition of a Business Class cabin to these aircraft means all the aircraft in Dragonair’s now offer a choice of three cabins in which to fly: Economy; Business and First.

"These customer-focused initiatives are part of a continuous process of ensuring we provide the best services on the routes we serve," explained James Yeung. "Our aim is to add value to the travel experience and create a relationship with our customers which is long-lasting."

Dragonair is a Hong Kong-based airline, operating a fleet of five A330-300s, three A321s and six A320s in addition to the Boeing 747-200 freighter. It will almost double its fleet by the end of 2005. The airline’s passenger network covers 27 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, while its cargo network connects the markets of Europe, the Middle East and China.