Launching a co-branded credit card is one of the major milestones in the maturity of a US airline, and Breeze Airways can now tick the box. The carrier teamed with Barclays US to issue the Breeze Easy card, tied to the airline’s rebranded Breezy Rewards loyalty program.
Combined with Barclays’ trusted track record with major travel brands, I’m confident the Breeze Easy Visa will be THE airline card of choice for Breeze guests and frequent travelers.
– David Neeleman, Founder and CEO, Breeze Airways
As with most co-brand cards, the integration for travel-related experiences presents the most notable value. In the case of Breeze that translates to double points for all Breeze tickets paid for with the card. Cardholders will also get complimentary Wi-Fi on the carrier’s A220 fleet; typically that benefit is reserved for Nicer or Nicest fare bundles. Cardmembers also receive priority boarding on all itineraries, another benefit otherwise reserved for higher fare travelers.
Driving the co-brand spend with unique benefits
Breeze and Barclays will also offer two unique spend-based benefits for cardholders:
- First, spending $10,000 on the card will net 7,500 bonus points at the annual anniversary date. Crediting an annual bonus is not new; putting a price tag on it is less common.
- The companies also came up with a fare bundle upgrade offer for travelers at every $15,000 in spend on the card. There is relatively little fine print to hinder the offer. Seats must be available for sale in the higher level experience, but Breeze is skipping complex upgrade inventory rules. The upgrade offer and redemption process will be managed fully online in the Breezy Rewards account interface.
Other than Breeze purchases the only bonus category is double points for grocery and restaurant spend. Notably, the card does not offer a complimentary checked bag option like most other co-brand cards do.
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The initial sign-up bonus is 50,000 points (equivalent to $500 in travel credit) with $2,000 spend in the first 90 day. Travelers buying a ticket can also get a $200 direct credit and 20,000 points without any further spend requirement by applying during the booking process.
The card carries an $89 annual fee, making it a bit more difficult to justify, especially with the limited bonus options. Unless spending a lot of time and money on Breeze flights, a more generic cash-back card is likely to yield better overall value for most consumers. But it is still a notable offering.
Breezy Rewards is a relatively simple program, with fixed point value for redemption and minimal partners. Adding Barclays in certainly helps shift that story, opening the door for additional partnerships to bloom.
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