Austrian Airlines Enters New Co-Branded Credit Card Partnership with Erste Bank und Sparkasse
- Joe Breitfeller
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Austrian Airlines has today announced a new partnership for their Miles & More co-branded Mastercard credit card portfolio. From January 1, 2026, the cards will now be issued by Erste Bank und Sparkasse.
On Monday (July 28, 2025), Austrian Airlines and Miles & More announced a change to their co-branded credit card portfolio in Austria. Starting January 1st 2026, the cards will now be issued by Erste Bank und Sparkasse, one of the largest banking groups in Austria. The cards will be issued in combination with George, the multi-award-winning internet banking platform, while Mastercard remains onboard as the payment service provider.
In Monday’s announcement, Austrian Airlines’ CEO, Annette Mann, said,
“With Erste Bank und Sparkasse, we have been able to gain a reliable, established and professional partner for our Austrian Miles & More credit cards. Together with Mastercard, the service portfolio was expanded in order to offer even more targeted services and to be able to address new customers. We are pleased that our passengers will be able to enjoy even more benefits when using their Austrian Miles & More credit card in the future.”
Also commenting on the new co-branded credit card partnership, Erste Bank’s CEO, Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller, said,
“The partnership with Austria’s largest airline, Austrian Airlines, and the largest loyalty programme, Miles & More, is another important step towards meeting the high-quality standards of our customers and offering them added value in banking. A ménage-à-trois that will bring joy to everyone, because comfortable travel and convenient banking now go hand in hand.”
Further commenting on the new partnership, Miles & More GMBH’s Managing Director, Gerald Schlögl, added,
“Our customers are always at the center of everything we do – with their expectations of a modern, digital and seamless customer experience. The cooperation with Erste Bank und Sparkasse as well as Mastercard was very trusting and characterized by a high level of expertise from the very beginning. I am therefore convinced that we have succeeded in developing an innovative product range for the Austrian market that meets the high demands of our existing customers and at the same time appeals to new target groups.”
Mastercard Austria’s Country Manager, Michael Brönner, added,
“Mastercard has been a reliable partner for Austrian Airlines Miles & More credit cards for many years. We are looking forward to working with Erste Bank und Sparkasse and Miles & More to set new impulses from 2026 and offer users an even more powerful, innovative card product – secure, digital and globally accepted.”
With the new partnership, the service package of Austrian Miles & More credit cards will be comprehensively expanded. Customers will continue to benefit from earning miles and also from new, attractive benefits. The new credit cards for private and business customers will combine the convenient and innovative payment functions of Erste Bank und Sparkasse with the extensive services of the Miles & More loyalty programme. The Business Premiumcard and Business Smartcard will offer attractive benefits, while Apple Pay and Google Pay options will be available for easy and fast payments with smartphones and smart watches. Customers will also receive cash back for foreign currency transactions.
Cardholders will also benefit from Austrian Airlines benefits, including Business Class check-in and fast-track access at Vienna Airport for holders of Premium Cards for Private and Business Premium Cards for Business Customers. Additionally, customers will enjoy access to over 1,700 airport lounges worldwide with the Priority Pass, as well as the mileage exchange feature for flexible exchange of miles for Points and Qualifying Points to achieve or secure frequent flyer status. Current cardholders can continue to use existing cards in full until the end of 2025 – including all benefits such as mileage earning and mileage protection, and will be informed well in advance about the upcoming changes.
Source: Austrian Airlines
