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MANILA, Philippines – All Nippon Airways (ANA) and United Airlines have launched a joint program to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in select Asian economies.
Called the Asia Joint Venture Simple program, SMEs based in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam would enjoy discounts on air travel when their employees travel on business to destinations in North, Central and South America.
“SMEs play a vital role in our local and regional economies. We’re delighted to support SMEs with this new program,” said Alison Espley, United Airlines managing director of Japan and Asia-Pacific sales on Thursday, June 11 during the program launch.
Espley noted that in the Asia-Pacific region, SMEs comprise 90% of businesses, account for 60 to 80% of jobs, and 30% of total exports.
“We believe that this program will prove highly popular with our current and future SME customers, who represent an important section of the global business community,” said Mitsuo Tomita, ANA’s vice president of marketing and sales.
No limits
Unlike other corporate programs, Asia Joint Venture Simple places no limits on a company’s revenue in order to qualify for the scheme.
The program would provide SMEs access to a comprehensive trans-Pacific network through United Airlines and ANA that connects to over 227 destinations in the US, and Central and South America.
Launched in April 2011, the trans-Pacific joint venture between United Airlines and ANA involves both airlines working together to coordinate sales and marketing to improve the customer experience.
SME travelers would also receive additional benefits on United Airlines such as premier status, lounge access, and upgrades. They can also earn award miles by joining United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program.
ANA is the 13th largest airline in the world based on revenues, and the largest airline in Japan based on revenues and passenger numbers. It has a fleet of about 240 aircraft servicing 72 international routes and 113 domestic routes.
United Airlines and United Express, meanwhile, operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 373 airports across 6 continents. It operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers in 2014 using its fleet of nearly 700 aircraft. – Rappler.com
Businesswoman waiting at the airport image from Shutterstock
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