Breeze Airways and Barclays: A Seriously Nice™ Partnership - Introducing the Launch of Breeze’s First-Ever Consumer Credit Card and Rewards Program
At Barclays, we put our airline, travel, and retail partners at the forefront of all we do. As a partner-first bank, we craft award-winning co-branded credit card programs that create value for partners and customers by strengthening brand loyalty, driving customer engagement, and elevating experiences with America’s best brands.
As a leading co-branded credit card issuer and financial services partner in the United States, Barclays, has more than 20 partnership programs representing some of America’s best-known and best-loved brands. That’s why we’re excited to announce our latest partnership with Breeze Airways and the debut of the Breeze Easy™ Visa Signature® credit card.
Breeze’s first co-branded credit card comes less than three years after the airline’s launch. The program will help make traveling with Breeze more rewarding, enabling fliers to take advantage of unique travel experiences and the ability to earn miles/points for future travel every time the card is used for purchases.
As noted in our 2023 Travel Rewards and Loyalty Report, miles and points help make travel possible for many consumers. Our report found that 76% of loyalty and rewards program members couldn’t imagine taking the kinds of trips they want without the benefit of such programs. For more than a third (36%), this has only increased since the pandemic – especially among millennials, with 74% indicating that earning the most rewards is more important than any other factor, including lower travel costs or annual fees.
Breeze’s focus on jet service from underserved regional airports, along with its credit card partnership with Barclays, addresses some flyers’ most common pain points, as revealed in a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research:
- 64% of flyers would prefer to fly out of a smaller, regional airport with nonstop flights, over a large hub, while 73% would prefer a rewards credit card from an airline that flies from an airport that’s convenient to their home.
- Over half of regional flyers avoid major airports because of long security lines (63%) and large crowds (53%), and nearly half find expensive parking (49%) and congestion that could delay flights (47%) as turn-offs.
- 61% of those surveyed would likely apply for an airline’s rewards credit card if the airline flew out of a nearby regional airport.
Growing up and starting my career in rural Maine, I know how important it is to be able to travel to stay connected with family and friends, conduct business, or get access to healthcare in other parts of the country, if needed. That’s why I’m excited that Breeze Airways is opening doors to affordable, premium air travel in numerous underserved markets, and Barclays is excited to support Breeze Easy Visa cardmembers in earning rewards for their travel and beyond.
Founded in 2018, by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, Breeze Airways calls itself a “Nice Low-Cost Carrier.” In its first two years of service, Breeze Airways was ranked in the top 5 for “Best U.S. Domestic Airline” by Travel + Leisure readers for its “World’s Best” awards.
We’re extremely proud to partner with Breeze, a brand that has already been recognized for excellence, and add to our amazing portfolio of co-branded card programs. We look forward to adding value by launching this program and enhancing experiences for Breeze cardmembers.
This information is for educational purposes only, not intended to be financial or legal advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before taking any action based on this information. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinion of Barclays Bank Delaware.
Blog Author
Doug Villone
Head of Cards and Partnerships
Barclays US Consumer Bank
Doug Villone is Head of US Cards and Partnerships, responsible for the US Consumer Bank’s (USCB) consumer credit card portfolio and partnerships with more than 20 of America’s best brands. Doug is a seasoned financial services leader with more than 25 years’ experience in credit cards, banking and payments.
Doug rejoined Barclays in April 2023 after spending five years at Goldman Sachs where he served most recently as the Global Head of Operations for Marcus, its consumer branded business. He oversaw all facets of operations during the bank’s foray into the highly competitive US consumer market with products that included credit cards, loans, investments and savings. He previously worked for USCB from 2007 to 2018 in various leadership roles that spanned credit card partnership management, operations and chief of staff to the CEO. Earlier in his career, Doug managed credit card programs for HSBC Card and Retail Services and Bank of America (previously MBNA).
Doug holds an undergraduate degree in political science and history from the University of Maine at Farmington.