FNB says it is now offering its customers bonus SLOW lounge visits when they book flights via eBucks Travel, but it appears the loyalty scheme is drastically cutting its free access from July 1.
According to a press release from FNB, customers who book flights via eBucks Travel on the FNB app or eBucks.com will get 12 bonus visits – in addition to complimentary visits on qualifying bank accounts – to use at SLOW domestic or international lounges. But Business Insider reports that when these changes to the scheme are implemented on July 1, simultaneously, free access will drop by between 20% and 100%, depending on membership type.
The least affected are Premier account holders at level 5 of eBucks, who will now only get 20% of their allocated free lounge visits. Premier customers at eBucks levels 1 and 2, and Private Clients at level 2, will lose 100% of their free allocations.
Account holders in FNB’s Private Wealth division, and those who are clients of RMB Private Bank, will lose 36%-80% of their annual allocations. eBucks level 5 customers at those private banks go from unlimited lounge visits to 36 per year, according to the report.
‘Bonus’ entry allocations would increase to 12 for all eBucks members who booked their flights via eBucks Travel, said FNB’s release. eBucks Travel lists only FlySafair and Emirates as partners, on its website.
Johan Moolman, ceo of FNB eBucks Rewards, told Business Insider: "We do not see this as a cut but rather shift of FNB customers to booking their flights on the FNB app and gaining the same, if not more, visits to SLOW by doing so."
