SINGAPORE - The five founding members of Asian Hotels
Alliance, in Singapore for their 9th board meeting, have
signed a deal with JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), the frequent
flyer program of Japan Airlines. Heads of Meritus Hotels
& Resorts of Singapore, Dusit Hotels & Resorts of
Thailand, Landis Hotels and Resorts of Taiwan, Marco Polo
Hotel Group of Hong Kong, and New Otani Hotels of Japan
were at the ceremony yesterday. "We are delighted with the
addition of another strong strategic partnership through
AHA," said Michael Ow, president of Meritus Hotels &
Resorts. "With each new partnership, AHA gains stature and
strengthens its brand identity in the marketplace."
Yasuhiko Inoue, deputy regional manager, Japan Airlines
said, "JAL Mileage Bank is pleased to welcome all the AHA
member hotels onboard the programme. With this partnership,
we look forward to providing an even more rewarding
proposition to our 10.15 million members worldwide, and the
number is still growing." Stanley Yen, group president of
Landis Hotels and Resorts said size no longer mattered in
terms of creating new synergies. "Smaller regional hotel
companies are now able to participate in the ever-expanding
airline business and compete with the larger international
brands."