INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines announced today that it has teamed up with Barclays, one of the world's largest financial institutions, to offer its customers a premium consumer credit card with BIG benefits. In addition to a low annual fee and no spending limit, ATA Visa Signature Card holders will receive one ATA Travel Award Point for every $3 spent using their Visa Signature Card. "There is intense competition for credit card customers, and we worked hard to find a partner able to offer ATA's loyal customers all the advantages of a premier credit card with added travel benefits and conveniences. The Visa brand has garnered tremendous worldwide acceptance, and our customers will be pleased with the scope of benefits the ATA Airlines Visa Card provides," says ATA Senior Vice President of Scheduled Service, Josef Loew. "New card holders will receive 3,000 bonus points after the first time they use their ATA Visa Signature Card for a purchase or a balance transfer. This bonus entitles the card holder to a free (see Note) Companion Award ticket on ATA just for using their new card."
Complete details are available on ATA's website, www.ata.com.
AIRLINE BENEFITS
ATA Visa Signature Card holders will enjoy priority boarding at all ATA gates from New York to Honolulu. Annually, card holders will receive a Companion Certificate that entitles them to a deeply discounted fare. For example, Visa Signature card holders who opt to redeem their Companion Certificate for travel between Chicago Midway and Washington Reagan, New York LaGuardia, or Dallas-Ft. Worth can take a companion with them for $50 (see Note) round-trip. The companion fare for travel from Midway to Guadalajara or Cancun and Houston to LaGuardia is $100 (see Note) round-trip, and from the West Coast to Hawaii is $150 (see Note) round-trip. Complete details are available on ATA's website, www.ata.com.
In addition to the new earning options introduced on October 1, 2006, the new ATA Airlines Visa Signature Card has further elevated ATA's Travel Awards Program as the most generous frequent flyer program in the industry. This new credit card further validates the Program's "Easy to Earn -- Fun to Use" theme.
Note: Taxes and fees apply.
Entering its 33rd year of operations, ATA offers affordable travel to 13 domestic and 2 international destinations. Through connecting Southwest Airlines codeshare flights, ATA now serves customers in more than 60 markets. ATA provides features travelers have come to expect, including advanced seat assignments, self-service kiosks, Web check-in, and a frequent flier program with one of the lowest thresholds for earning travel in the industry. ATA Travel Awards members have the option when booking their flights on ata.com or at 1-800-I-FLY-ATA of earning either ATA Travel Awards points or Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credits. For more information, visit ata.com.
About Barclays
The ATA Visa Signature Card will be issued by Barclays US credit card operation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS), and a leading U.S. credit card issuer with more than 40 card partnerships in the travel, entertainment, retail, financial services, not-for-profit and educational arenas. Barclays issues co-branded credit cards for Barnes and Noble, Carnival Cruise Lines, Harvard Alumni Association, and UBS, just to name a few.