Partnerships between hotel groups and airlines are nothing new, or very surprising. Accor, IHG and Marriott on the one hand, and Air France, British Airways and United on the other. cross-relationships between these essential links in the travel chain now revolve around their loyalty programmes, organising links between points and miles. Several decades ago, they took the form of hotel emanations of carriers designed to accommodate customers and crews.
PanAm had already launched the movement in the late 1940s with its first InterContinental hotel in Belem, Brazil, before Air France created the Le Méridien chain and JAL its JAL Hotels division in the early 1970s. Then it was Swissair's turn to launch Swissôtel in 1980, in association with Nestlé. At the same time, KLM and United Airlines also presided over the destinies of Golden Tulip and Westin, until the need for cash allowed these brands to leave the hotel business for good.
Will we see new synergies emerging between these two pillars of interplanetary tourism? The recent partnership between IHG and China's Hainan Airlines is certainly a new kind of partnership, halfway between naming and shared experiences. Announced in the last few days, this partnership is taking shape in the form of a Hainan Airlines aircraft named "IHG Explorer", in honour of the hotelier. To mark the occasion, the aircraft will swap the traditional white, red and yellow livery of Hainan Airlines for a dark blue fuselage, the emblematic colour of the British group.
But this partnership is not just cosmetic. Before take-off, after stowing their luggage in compartments decorated with photos sponsored by IHG, travellers will be able to watch a video combining safety instructions and promotion of the hotel portfolio in China. A well-stocked portfolio, since the hotelier has just passed the 1,000-establishment mark in Asia-Pacific, including more than 700 in Greater China alone. These include around twenty Hualuxe hotelsa brand dedicated to the Chinese market, in line with the "in China, for China" commercial approach adopted by the Group to penetrate the world's largest market outside the United States.
Synergies between the hotelier and the airline will be even greater for business class travellers. On the comfort side, with cushions created by Chinese artist Chen Jiu for Hualuxe, but even more so on the restaurant side. While Hualuxe hotels have their own brand of Chinese restaurants, Cai Feng Lou, this brand has been put to good use for draw up menus for business passengers. The result is a range of local and seasonal dishes combining classic Cantonese cuisine with the local flavours of Hainan, and special 'Hualuxe Cloud Aroma' teas with the promise of a 'Cloud Banquet'.
Of course, this partnership will also mean new benefits for loyalty programme members IHG One Rewards and Fortune Wings Club which will be introduced in the second quarter of this year. " Together, we'll be spearheading deep integration between the aviation and tourism sectors, providing a pioneering example of cross-sector collaboration" commented Gao Jian, President of the Hainan Airlines Workers' Union. " In our 49 years in China, IHG has always put the diverse needs of our customers firstsaid Jerome Qiu, Director of Greater China Operations at IHG. The partnership with Hainan Airlines extends this commitment in the air, offering more immersive travel experiences." . It should be noted that the group has a strong link, but of a different type, with an Asian company, All Nippon Airways, which IHG has relied on for its development in Japan as part of a joint venture.
