Payment - AirPlus makes headway on the French market

At 25.1 million euros, net profit rose by 46 %. "AirPlus has passed the 35,000 customer mark, with a gain of 2,000 companies over one year".Patrick W. Diemer, Chairman of Air- Plus International.

In the French market alone - the second largest behind Germany - where Air Plus has developed its loyalty card with BNP Paribas, the number of customers rose by 17 %. "35 % of CAC 40 companies use our tools to manage and pay for their business travel, and we have also recruited small and medium-sized businesses with annual business travel budgets of between €50,000 and €500,000.says John Baird-Smith, Managing Director, France. "The trend has continued since January 2011, with double-digit growth".he confides. "The market is looking for savings and simplicity. As a result, travel managers are continuing to look for the best fares and to use the control tools put in place during the crisis".adds John Baird-Smith.

To better control their spending, companies want to be able to use the card with more tourism operators. After the airlines, AirPlus intends to multiply the number of agreements with hotel groups, rental companies and rail operators in the wake of the one signed two years ago with the SNCF. Like the other players in the prepaid card market, AirPlus is hoping to benefit from the boom in this means of payment, with 20 million users expected in France in 2015 and a total transaction volume of €17 billion.