Emirates partnership with China’s Trip.com Group takes off

Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese OTA Trip.com Group in Shanghai yesterday, as the airline looks to expand its reach in the Chinese market.

According to the agreement, Emirates will further explore the market’s potential by leveraging the user network of Trip.com Group, and expand customer reach and penetration in the market through exclusive fares and tailor-made products for Trip.com Group’s customer base.

In the next phase of the strategic cooperation, both parties will explore joint initiatives to provide members of their loyalty programmes with customised and exclusive offers.

Commenting on the MoU, Orhan Abbas, senior vice president – commercial operations, Far East, at Emirates said: “China has always been a key strategic market for Emirates, and last year marked the 15th year of Emirates’ direct flights to mainland China.”

Orhan added that the newly-renovated airport lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport was opened last October, “representing an investment of more than US$3 million”, and was a “testament to the emphasis the airline places on the Chinese market.

Tan Yudong, vice president of Trip.com Group and chief operating officer of Trip.com Group Flight Business Group, added: “The partnership with Emirates will enable users of the platform to have more choice with access to more airline options when booking international travel, more destinations to choose from, and flight options that provide seamless connectivity for their travel plans. ”

Emirates was the first airline to establish non-stop connectivity between the Middle East and mainland China in 2004. Today, Emirates operates 35 flights a week to mainland China, all operated by the A380 aircraft, with – twice-daily services to both Beijing and Shanghai, and daily services to Guangzhou.