Back in 2017, I wrote about Mastercard Flight Delay Pass, a programme which grants complimentary lounge access if your flight is delayed.
This was especially useful for travellers without an unlimited lounge membership (which is getting increasingly rare these days), though the minimum requirement of a two-hour delay meant you probably hoped you’d never have to use it.
Over the years, however, Mastercard Flight Delay Pass was gradually removed from numerous cards, before disappearing from Singapore entirely in 2023 after Amaze scrapped the feature (which allowed the StanChart Smart Card to market itself as the only card in Singapore offering such a benefit, when it debuted the competing Visa SmartDelay service in January 2025).
Well, the Citi PremierMiles Card has now brought the benefit back to Singapore, so let’s take a look at how it works.
Citi PremierMiles Card relaunches Mastercard Flight Delay Pass
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| Mastercard Flight Delay Pass |
Principal and supplementary Citi PremierMiles Cardholders can now benefit from Mastercard Flight Delay Pass, which offers complimentary access to over 1,800 LoungeKey airport lounges worldwide for the cardholder and a guest in the event of a flight delay exceeding two hours.
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“In the event of a flight delay announcement of 120 minutes or more, we will immediately send you an email and SMS with your Mastercard Flight Delay Pass which will entitle you to complimentary airport lounge access. This service is also available in the case of rolling delays, eventually adding up to 120 minutes or more.” -Mastercard |
The pass can be redeemed at any LoungeKey-accepting airport lounge worldwide (LoungeKey and Priority Pass are basically the same). I would assume that it can also be used for non-lounge experiences like airport restaurants or spas, but I haven’t tested it before.
Do note that Mastercard is dependent on the airline to accurately report delays. If this does not occur, the lounge pass will not trigger (and you should be angry at the airline for that, not Mastercard).
The benefit applies regardless of whether a two-hour delay is announced upfront, or whether it happens through cumulative rolling delays (though the latter is more annoying, as you’ll have to spend the first two hours waiting around the airport). Most airlines won’t announce a two-hour delay immediately; in most situations I’ve been in, the flight is first delayed by 30 minutes, then another 30 minutes, etc.
Do note that the Mastercard Flight Delay Pass benefit is on top of the two Priority Pass visits that principal Citi PremierMiles Cardholders already enjoy. Those visits are not tied to delays, and can be used any time you want.
| MC Flight Delay Pass | Priority Pass | |
| Eligibility | Principal + supp. card | Principal card only |
| No. of Visits | No limit | 2 per year |
| Availability | Flight delay ≥2 hours | Anytime you wish |
| Covers | Cardholder + 1 guest | Cardholder (guest optional) |
To put it another way: using the Mastercard Flight Delay Pass has no impact whatsoever on your Priority Pass visit entitlement.
How to register
Cardholders must register their flight in advance, through this portal. There is no limit on how many times you can use this benefit, though you can only register a maximum of four flights at a time.
There is also no requirement that you pay for your flight with the card you use to register. That’s a good thing, because the Citi PremierMiles Card earns just 1.2 mpd on air ticket bookings— hardly the right card to use!
How does this compare to Visa SmartDelay?
| Visa SmartDelay | Mastercard Flight Delay Pass | |
| Minimum Delay | 1 hour | 2 hours |
| Provider | LoungeKey | |
| Entitlement | Cardholder + 1 guest | |
Visa SmartDelay is the analogue to Mastercard Flight Delay Pass, and while it offers similar coverage in terms of lounges (both are powered by the Collinson Group, which owns the Priority Pass and LoungeKey brands), it has a lower trigger threshold of one hour.
That can make all the difference, so if I had both options at my disposal, I’d definitely be registering my flights under Visa instead.
At the moment, Visa SmartDelay is only available on the StanChart Smart Card.
Which credit cards offer airport lounge access?
Remember, Visa SmartDelay and Mastercard Flight Delay Pass only provide lounge access in the event of a flight delay.
If you’re looking for a credit card that offers lounge access regardless, refer to the article below.
Conclusion
The Citi PremierMiles Card has relaunched the Mastercard Flight Delay Pass in Singapore, with cardholders eligible for a complimentary LoungeKey pass for themselves and a guest should their flight be delayed by more than two hours.
This is available to both principal and supplementary cardholders, and there’s no limit on the number of times you can use the benefit (though I imagine you wouldn’t want to be using it too often!).
