Japan Airlines (JAL) and Marriott International announced on July 14 that they have entered into a strategic partnership between JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) and Marriott Bonvoy. By linking accounts in both programs, members can receive benefits such as points based on their membership status and status matching.
JMB members will automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy elite status according to their JMB status. Sapphire members will be automatically status matched to Silver Elite, while JGC Premier, Diamond, and Diamond Metal members will be automatically status matched to Gold Elite.
A system will also enable members to earn higher status based on qualifying stays. General members can earn Silver Elite with six nights within six months, while Crystal members can do so with four nights. Sapphire members can earn Gold Elite with 10 nights within the same period, while Diamond and Diamond Metal members can earn Platinum Elite with 10 nights (Diamond members are eligible only in their first year).
JGC Premier members and above will also receive Marriott Bonvoy points upon meeting certain requirements. Members who complete 16 nights within six months will receive 10,000 points for JGC Premier members and 15,000 points for Diamond and Diamond Metal members.
Meanwhile, Marriott Bonvoy members will receive JAL FLY ON Points (FOP) annually according to their membership status. General members will receive 2,000 points; Silver Elite members, 5,000 points; Gold Elite members, 10,000 points; Platinum Elite members, 20,000 points; Titanium Elite members, 30,000 points; and Ambassador Elite members, 40,000 points. Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite members will be automatically status matched to JMB Crystal status or higher, depending on their cumulative FOP total.
▲Shingo Nishida, JAL Executive Officer and Head of the Mileage & Lifestyle Business Division (left), and John Toomey, Chief Commercial Officer for Marriott International Asia Pacific excluding Greater China, at a press conference at Haneda Airport
This marks Marriott International’s first full-scale partnership with a Japanese airline. For JAL, it is also its first strategic partnership with a global hotel group.
In its “Group Management Vision 2035,” announced in March, JAL identified expanded overseas operations as one of the pillars of its growth strategy for its mileage and lifestyle business. At a presentation held at Haneda Airport, Shingo Nishida, JAL Executive Officer and Head of the Mileage & Lifestyle Business Division, explained the current situation: “While we have established a solid customer base in Japan to a certain extent, we still have very few touchpoints with inbound travelers.” Through its partnership with Marriott, which has a global customer base, JAL aims to deepen its relationships with overseas customers.
Nishida also noted that while customer contact during a flight lasts at most around 12 to 13 hours, accommodation accounts for a longer portion of the overall journey. “Through synergies between airlines and hotels, we will enhance the value of customers’ entire travel experience,” he said, expressing his intention to improve comprehensive services from boarding through their stay.
