Cathay Pacific has announced that changes to its Marco Polo loyalty program will not affect the existing benefits of any of its members, after months of speculation that amenities and perks would be stripped from lower tiers. In an effort to better recognize the contribution made by individual members, and in reaction to changes in customer travel patterns, the Marco Polo Club will change to a new points-based system, effective April 15, 2016, based on a combination of the cabin customers travel in, the fare class booked and the distance travelled.

“Customer loyalty is the backbone of our airline and we are grateful for the great support and contribution our Marco Polo Club members have been giving us,” says Cathay Pacific director sales and marketing Dane Cheng. “The travel industry is ever-evolving and we understand there have been significant changes to the way our members travel in recent years. We must adapt to these changes so that we can continue to help our passengers travel well and ensure they feel properly appreciated.”

The new points system is designed to allow members who fly in premium classes an opportunity to earn tier status faster. It will allow members to earn club points from a wider range of fares, including discounted fare types that are currently not applicable to club status.

The airline has been quick to assure members that all popular member benefits, including unlimited lounge access for Silver members and above, as well as priority boarding and check-in, remain unchanged. At the same time, Cathay Pacific will further improve the overall membership experience by introducing more flexible and family-friendly benefits, including extra lounge passes for members and their invited guests; bookable upgrades for gold and diamond members; an additional gold companion card for diamond members; and “Membership Holidays” that enable members to retain their status for one year, in recognition of those who may need to temporarily reduce their travel activity.

To support members’ transition to the points program, the Marco Polo Club will convert each member’s mileage or sectors into club points, based on which is the most favourable for individual members. A number of tools, including a club points calculator, have been developed to help members understand the changes, and members can find out more by accessing www.cathaypacific.com/clubchanges.