ANA, UA deal offers low fares for SME execs

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and United Airlines through the Asia Joint Venture (JV) Simple program will provide a complimentary corporate travel program that aims to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam when their employees travel on business.

Through the Asia JV Simple program, SMEs will enjoy discounts on air travel originating from these markets to destinations in North, Central and South America.

The program gives SMEs in these countries access to a comprehensive trans-Pacific network through United and ANA that connects to over 227 destinations in the U.S. as well as Central and South America, enabling SME employees to enjoy far more convenient travel.

Unlike other corporate programs, Asia JV Simple places no limits on a company’s revenue in order to qualify for the scheme, enabling more SMEs to benefit.

SME travelers will receive additional benefits on United such as premier status, lounge access and upgrades and, like any other customers, they can earn award miles by joining United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program.

“SMEs play a vital role in our local and regional economies, comprising 90% of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region and accounting for 60-80% of jobs and 30% of total exports . We’re delighted to support SMEs with this new program,” Alison Espley, United’s managing director of Japan and Pacific Sales, said.

Mitsuo Tomita, ANA’s vice president of Marketing and Sales Asia, said: “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. The Asia JV Simple program supports them by making the comprehensive networks of our two airlines easier than ever for them to access. This will make business travel a breeze for SMEs, and contribute to their growth potential.”

Launched in April 2011, the trans-Pacific joint venture between United and ANA involves both airlines working together to coordinate sales and marketing to improve the customer experience. Customers now enjoy greater choice, more convenience and unprecedented flexibility in trans-Pacific travel. The Asia JV Simple program is an extension of this joint venture tailored specifically for SMEs business travelers, which aims to support them as they grow their businesses.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the 13th largest airline in the world by revenues (2013) and the largest airline in Japan by revenues and passenger numbers.

Founded in 1952, ANA today flies on 72 international routes and 113 domestic routes with a fleet of about 240 aircraft.

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 373 airports across six continents.

In 2014, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 34 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 and the 737-900ER. United is also welcoming 49 new Embraer E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines.