News Releases
BMO Bank of Montreal, WestJet and The Loyalty Group, creator of the AIR MILES Reward Program, today announced that they have completed a long-term exclusive agreement to market a tri-branded MasterCard for personal and small business customers.
WestJet will now add its name to BMO Bank of Montreal's Mosaik MasterCard, joining the AIR MILES Reward Program. The card will provide enhanced opportunities for consumers to earn and redeem AIR MILES reward miles, while also providing unique WestJet-related benefits to cardholders.
BMO is also reviewing its existing lineup of AIR MILES reward options available with Mosaik MasterCard to enhance the benefits for its existing cardholders.
Rob Pearce, President and Chief Executive Officer, Personal and Commercial Client Group, BMO Bank of Montreal, reiterated the importance of the long-standing relationship BMO has enjoyed with The Loyalty Group and said that the opportunity to begin a close partnership with WestJet "gives the BMO Mosaik MasterCard an unmatched 'triple advantage' in the battle for cardholder loyalty.
"The value provided with this new offering, coupled with the strength of these well-known brands, will ensure that BMO Mosaik MasterCard becomes the preferred credit card in the customer's wallet," he said.
Clive Beddoe, WestJet's President, CEO and Executive Chairman, said "We are very pleased to have joined forces with BMO, the largest MasterCard issuer in Canada, and with the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's premier coalition retail loyalty program, bringing together three very strong and highly recognized Canadian brands. We are confident this product will be extremely popular with Canadians and will provide them with even more incentive to fly WestJet."
"This new agreement underscores the ongoing success of our relationship with both BMO Bank of Montreal and West Jet and demonstrates our commitment to provide Canadian Collectors with innovative reward options," said John Scullion, Chief Executive Officer, The Loyalty Group. "The introduction of the tri-branded Mosaik MasterCard further entrenches our leadership in the loyalty program marketplace."
Kevin Stanton, Senior Vice-President, MasterCard Canada reiterated the strength of this new offering. "The tri-branded partnership between WestJet, AIR MILES and BMO Bank of Montreal Mosaik MasterCard is a great example of the innovation and growth underway within the MasterCard portfolio of products in Canada," he said.
Program details were not provided, although specific offers will be introduced as part of an official launch later in 2004. All three parties highlighted that they are jointly developing competitive reward offers that will fit with the value-conscious customer base of both BMO and WestJet.
About WestJet:
WestJet serves the 24 Canadian cities of Victoria, Comox, Vancouver, Abbotsford/Fraser Valley, Prince George, Kelowna, Grande Prairie, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Windsor, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Moncton, Halifax, Gander and St. John's. WestJet is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WJA.
About BMO Mosaik MasterCard
BMO Mosaik MasterCard allows customers to build their own customized cards by choosing and paying for only the rewards, features and rates they want. Customers can also re-build their cards by changing the features as their needs change without having to replace the card or apply for a new one.
Unlike other credit cards that offer a limited selection of pre-bundled options, Mosaik MasterCard lets cardholders choose from a variety of individual features such as the AIR MILES Reward Program or a CashBack Reward Program, Travel Protection, Travel Medical, Concierge Service and either a standard or low interest rate.
Mosaik MasterCard card is accepted at more than 30 million locations worldwide.
About the AIR MILES® Reward Program
Created by The Loyalty Group in 1992, The AIR MILES® Reward Program is Canada's premier coalition loyalty program, with more than 15.4 million Canadians - representing more than 69 per cent of Canadian households - actively collecting AIR MILES® reward miles.
The AIR MILES® Reward Program allows Collectors to indulge in leisure, entertainment, merchandise, travel and other lifestyle rewards quickly, simply by doing their everyday shopping for products and services at AIR MILES® Sponsors. AIR MILES® reward miles can be redeemed for more than 500 different rewards, such as movie passes, family attractions, CDs and DVDs, electronic merchandise, sports and recreation, travel and more.
Collectors can shop and collect AIR MILES® reward miles at more than 100 brand-name Sponsors across the country, representing more than 14,000 retail and service locations nationally, including BMO Bank of Montreal, Shell, SportChek (Sports Experts), The Shoe Company, A&P, Sobeys, Safeway and IGA, and YourShops.ca. The AIR MILES® Reward Program's website is www.airmiles.ca.
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