It’s commonplace to see lodge teams and airways associate, provided that those that keep at accommodations regularly might also be frequent flyers, and vice versa. For instance, American and Hyatt have a partnership, and United and Marriott have a partnership.
Alongside these strains, IHG Inns and Hainan Airways have simply unveiled particulars of a brand new two-year partnership. Nonetheless, this appears to be extra targeted on advertising and marketing than truly substantive advantages, so I’m primarily writing about this as a result of there’s a cool-looking particular livery aircraft as a part of this.
Fundamentals of the IHG & Hainan Airways partnership
IHG Inns and Hainan Airways have launched a partnership, with essentially the most thrilling facet of this being the brand new “IHG Explorer” plane, which is a particular Boeing 787:
- The aircraft shall be painted within the IHG Explorer livery, “with IHG’s iconic deep blue color”
- The cabin’s overhead bins shall be decked in customized decals
- The enterprise class cabin will characteristic customized lumbar pillows co-created by the HUALUXE model and Chinese language artist Chen Jiu
- The aircraft will characteristic a co-branded security video, “that blends IHG’s intensive and diverse model portfolio into important flight security directions”
- In enterprise class, meals shall be launched from Chinese language restaurant model Cai Feng Lou — the primary menu shall be known as “Cloud Banquet: Springtime Island Delights,” and can mix basic Cantonese dishes with flavors from Hainan
I discover this to be fairly unusual. So the airline and lodge group are partnering to make one aircraft IHG particular? They usually’re introducing particular catering and a particular security video only for it? Will the plane be assigned a particular route, or will this be a shock and delight providing? This simply looks like numerous effort.
Additionally, am I the one one who finds plastering overhead bins with promoting decals to be extra in keeping with what you’d count on on Ryanair, fairly than one thing giving the impression of a “richly built-in journey expertise?”
IHG and Hainan Airways declare that they’ll introduce extra member advantages in the course of the second quarter of 2024, “providing IHG One Rewards and Fortune Wings Membership members a variety of thrilling experiences.” You’d suppose that you’d begin with that, fairly than a particular aircraft, however to every their very own…
Are journey press releases simply getting extra ridiculous?
Whereas we’re on this matter, can I simply level out how nearly each press launch from a journey model these days appears to make use of each buzzword conceivable? For instance, from this press launch:
- “IHG Inns & Resorts (IHG) proudly pronounces a dynamic partnership with Hainan Airways that gives a richly built-in journey expertise throughout each air and land”
- “Collectively, IHG and Hainan Airways are reimagining journey by incorporating various cultural parts into friends’ journeys, whereas driving the event of tourism by way of personalised experiences”
- “The partnership has seen the debut of the ‘IHG Explorer’ plane, which represents the continuing dedication of each corporations to ship pleasant journey experiences which are stuffed with surprises for passengers”
- “The video highlights a myriad of charming locations of the group in China, heightening friends’ pleasure for an distinctive journey”
- “Amidst a thriving culinary tourism market, friends are more and more drawn to distinctive eating experiences and cultural immersions”
The one factor lacking right here is speaking about AI remodeling the trade, since that’s additionally a buzzword these days. However possibly that’s as a result of this press launch was written by AI? I don’t know.
Backside line
IHG Inns & Resorts and China’s Hainan Airways have launched a two-year partnership. Whereas there would possibly truly be some actual advantages introduced sooner or later, to date we’ve solely discovered concerning the IHG Explorer aircraft, which shall be a Boeing 787 with an IHG livery, IHG branding everywhere in the cabin, an IHG security video, and particular catering.
Whereas I like artistic aircraft branding, like EVA Air’s Hi there Kitty jet, I’d have a tough time getting enthusiastic about this. “Look, we’re on the aircraft with the promoting everywhere in the cabin, yay!”
What do you make of Hainan Airways’ IHG Explorer aircraft?
