Emirates today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trip.com Group, a world’s leading one-stop travel service provider. The agreement was signed in Shanghai by executives of both companies, signalling the start of a strategic cooperation between Emirates and Trip.com Group and allowing the airline to expand its reach in the Chinese market.

The mutual cooperation includes joint marketing promotions and other marketing initiatives to boost Emirates’ sales via Trip.com Group’s online platforms. In the future, collaborations aimed at providing customized products to suit members of both loyalty programmes will be explored and the partnership will potentially pave the way for joint initiatives on technical aspects, big data analysis and marketing strategy development.

Emirates’ delegation at the signing was headed by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President – Commercial Operations for the Far East, who signed the agreement with representatives of Trip.com Group at the group’s headquarters in Shanghai, in the presence of Adam Li, Vice President, Emirates-China and David Han, CBO of International Flight Business of Trip.com Group.

According to the agreement signed by the two parties, Emirates will further explore the market’s potential by leveraging the strong and extensive user network of Trip.com Group, and plans to expand customer reach and penetration in the market through exclusive fares and tailor-made products for the customer base of Trip.com Group. In the next phase of the strategic cooperation, Trip.com Group and Emirates will explore joint initiatives to provide members of their loyalty programs with customized and exclusive offers.

For Trip.com Group, the online travel agency can look forward to leveraging and benefiting from Emirates’ world-leading brand awareness, outstanding in-flight offerings, and extensive global network to support its globalization strategy and usher in more diversified outbound travel solutions to meet the burgeoning market demand. With customers increasingly seeking personalized travel experiences, the move will help Trip.com Group provide a unique and diversified range of products as well as choice to its customer base.

Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President -Commercial Operations, Far East at Emirates said: “China is a very important market for Emirates and we are pleased to establish a strategic partnership with Trip.com Group to help us deliver on our growth strategy. This is an exciting time for Emirates as we enter into a new phase in our operations in China, having enjoyed 15 successful years of serving mainland China. We aim to build on our achievements over the years and embark on a robust strategy aimed at boosting sales further. We plan to enter a new growth trajectory and, in Trip.com Group, we have found the right strategic partner to collaborate with and achieve our goals.”

Tan Yudong, VP of Trip.com Group and COO of Trip.com Group Flight Business Group added that it was the online travel agency’s pleasure to establish a cooperative relationship with Emirates. “The Chinese outbound travel market has huge potential and Trip.com Group has been constantly upgrading its services to provide users with improved travel experiences. 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. Thanks to Emirates’ extensive global network, Trip.com Group customers can enjoy the industry-leading services and facilities aboard its flagship A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, allowing better travel experiences for Chinese outbound tourists.”

Emirates operates the world’s largest fleets of A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft and is committed to delivering Fly Better experiences to a growing number of passengers worldwide, including Chinese travellers. All of its world-class product offerings including distinctive features such as Emirates’ First Class suites, Onboard Shower Spa, Onboard Lounge on the iconic A380, as well as its award-winning inflight entertainment system ‘ice’, with more than 4,500 on-demand channels in more than 50 languages, were borne out of the airline’s relentless pursuit to re-define the travel experience. Emirates’ emphasis on innovation is deeply-rooted in its DNA.

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 greatly sought after flagship A380 aircraft, with – twice daily services to both Beijing and Shanghai, and daily services to Guangzhou. After a convenient transfer in Dubai, passengers can travel to over 150 destinations in Emirates’ global network, spanning in six continents.

Orhan continued: “China has always been a key strategic market for Emirates, and last year marked the 15th year of Emirates’ direct flights to mainland China. In addition to the deployment of Emirates’ flagship A380 on Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou routes, we also continue to invest in facility and service upgrades in delivering our ‘Fly Better’ promise. To complement our world-class service in the air, we opened the doors of our newly-renovated airport lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport last October, representing an investment of more than US$3 million to provide an elevated customer experience. This is testament to the emphasis we place on the Chinese market, with more than 210,000 customers enjoying the facilities annually.”