ST HELIER, Jersey, December 1 /PRNewswire/ -- As people's lives become more frenetic in a world of increased global travel, the old-fashioned hotel concierge has been replaced by something more aligned to the needs of today's high net worth individual - Lifestyle & Travel Assistance Services. Virtual concierge services have sprung up over the years offering a personalised service, but they can be restrictive in terms of the number of countries covered or limited to only entertainment and fine dining. Now with the sharp increase in air travel over the last ten years, a broad geographical range is an absolute prerequisite for a top notch service. Arriving in a new city, or simply needing access to an unexpected service whilst at home, concierge services can offer something tailored to the customer's needs and can provide the 'inside track' on where to go and what to do. In addition, concierge services can offer an extra pair of hands in a busy person's schedule - booking tickets, finding information or even getting a babysitter.

With this in mind, Abbey International (http://www.abbeyinternational.com), the offshore banking specialist owned by Banco Santander, wanted to create a unique proposition which would make owning an Abbey International deferred-debit card a more rewarding and personalised experience. Partnering with Visa, the world's leading payment brand and AXA Assistance a global leader in travel and medical assistance, Abbey International has created a suite of three cards (http://www.abbeyinternational.com/Gold.asp) for its clients - Gold, Platinum and Visa Infinite which are available exclusively to Abbey International Gold current account holders.

With an exclusive range of benefits designed to Abbey International's demanding brief, their Visa Infinite card (http://www.abbeyinternational.com/VisaInfiniteCard.asp) has been tailored to give clients enhanced levels of cover and greater benefits, particularly for a wiser and more discerning demographic. The card also provides holders with Airport Angel membership, giving cardholders and their guests access to over 400 airport lounges and a range of flight related information services, such as text based alerts.

The Abbey International Visa Infinite card is only available to those Abbey bank account holders with at least GBP100k on deposit and if there is over GBP250k in the account, all card membership fees are waived. The Lifestyle service is run by AXA Assistance and provides a full range of services for those travelling or at home.

Before travelling, Visa Infinite cardholders have access to a special pre-departure hotline which advises on passport and inoculation requirements, together with local country information, as well as the latest currency exchange rates. Whilst the Visa Infinite cardholder is abroad, they are provided with a whole host of additional services to make their lives easier. If emergency cash is needed, the cardholder will be provided with funds and they can also be given local legal advice, should it be necessary. In addition, phone based interpreting services are provided 24/7 to help clients who may be experiencing language barriers. In case of loss or theft of a passport, visa or airline tickets, the service provides all the necessary information to obtain the replacement documents. The Lifestyle service can also be used to transmit messages to friends, relatives and business associates in the country of residence and can even organise helicopters and private jets, should they be necessary.

Another important benefit for Visa Infinite cardholders is the provision of medical services in case of an emergency overseas. If a hospital stay is required, the Travel Assistance programme monitors the cardholder's treatment, progress and the quality of medical attention, until their safe return home. In addition the service can provide updates to friends, family and employers or business colleagues. The service ranges from providing a GP to visit the hotel or person's place of residence to the provision of a specialist healthcare practitioner. The service's expert advice ensures the most appropriate physician is chosen and allowable charges are met. The advice is provided by AXA Assistance's Medical Director or the AXA Medical team and is based on their medical expertise and that of the support staff of qualified physicians and nurses. AXA has a global database of every type of healthcare professional, all of whom are well regarded in their field of expertise. The cardholder will be given contact details of the appropriate professional together with key information such as languages spoken, for example. The service can also help cardholders replace lost or misplaced medication or eyewear by first endeavouring to find a local resource for replacement or, if necessary, by arranging a fresh shipment.

According to Visa's own statistics for Sweden, the most popular service for Visa Infinite cardholders is hotel and travel planning, accounting for over a quarter of requests, closely followed by ticket and entertainment bookings. Interestingly, although Visa Infinite cardholders tend to be frequent travellers, 67% of the enquiries from Swedish cardholders were in the home market. In addition to booking tickets, Visa Infinite Lifestyle Services also arranges simple gifts such as champagne and fruit baskets, should they be requested. The level of detail which can be provided is considerable: taking the example of restaurants, location, type of cuisine, dress code, prices and menu options can all be given in advance, so cardholders knows exactly what to expect.

Abbey International Visa Infinite cardholders can use the Lifestyle service to source more or less anything they could possible need, from business services through to hard to find items, such as out of print books, as well as arranging for electrical, plumbing and sanitary assistance in the home country of the cardholder. Additional services include locksmith, pest control and air conditioning assistance.

One Visa Infinite cardholder describes her use of the lifestyle service at home and whilst on a trip to Italy:

"I have used the Lifestyle Service in several different ways - like ordering a special bouquet of flowers at a time when all the florists are shut, sourcing tickets for up-coming events, and finding out where I can buy a particular type of tea.

It can be a particular help when I am travelling. For example, I was planning a trip to Italy to see the opera at La Scala. I wanted a small and exclusive hotel near to the theatre. I wanted to book a Japanese restaurant for a late meal after the show. I also wanted a baby sitter to look after my daughter for the evening. And, for the following morning, I wanted to arrange a half-day site-seeing tour for my daughter whilst I was working.

Everything was extremely efficient. They recommended a couple of suitable hotels and found a good Japanese restaurant. They also found a baby sitter who speaks several languages, even though I hadn't specifically asked for this."

Jane Matthews, Head of Client Experience at Abbey International said of the new suite of Visa cards: "Abbey International has always prided itself on giving its clients the best possible service. With our recently launched range of deferred-debit cards, we wanted to go one step further and by partnering with Visa we were able to provide our clients with the very best service. The Visa Infinite card with its Lifestyle service is second to none in its attention to detail and coverage and moreover, we were able to tailor the packages available to suit to our key audiences. We are confident these services will help make our clients' lives easier, more enjoyable and less stressful."

For further information on banking with Abbey International in Jersey call +44(0)1534-828-828 or log onto http://www.abbeyinternational.com

For media use only and not to be relied on by consumers to make financial decisions.

Notes to Editors:

Abbey International is located in Jersey, a secure, well-established and politically stable financial centre, which is renowned internationally for its high standards of regulation. Jersey's unique constitution and relationship with the British Crown dates back hundreds of years. This provides for a unique legal and neutral tax system that can provide significant wealth planning opportunities for the international investor.

Abbey international has a minimum balance entry requirement of GBP50,000 (or currency equivalent) across our portfolio of products. The minimum balance amount can be spread across a range of accounts, subject to the minimum opening deposit for each account being met.

All deposits carry the full and unconditional guarantee of Abbey National plc, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the Santander Group.

Santander has more than 150 years' experience in banking and more branches worldwide than any other international bank.

Abbey and Santander

Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with operations in more than 40 countries. At the end of 2008, Santander was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1,168 billion in managed funds at the end of 2008. Following the acquisition of Sovereign Bancorp of the U.S. in January 2009, Santander has 90 million customers, more than 14,000 branches - more than any other international bank - and over 180,000 employees. It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America, with leading positions in the United Kingdom and Portugal and a broad presence in Europe through its Santander Consumer Finance arm. In 2008, Santander registered EUR8,876 million in net attributable profit, an increase of 9 per cent from the previous year excluding capital gains.

In the UK, Santander operates three retail businesses - Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley. Together they have over 1300 branches, around 4,500 cash machines and they provide a full range of retail and corporate banking services to 24 million customers.

Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley will all become known as Santander by the end of 2010. Abbey and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley will be rebranded from the first quarter of 2010 and Alliance & Leicester will follow later in the year. The move will deliver a significant advantage for customers as they will be able to use any of 1,000 Santander branches from early 2010, rising to over 1,300 by the end of 2010.

The Bradford & Bingley logo is a trade mark of Bradford & Bingley plc and is used under licence.

SOURCE Abbey International

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