Intelligence – November, 16 2011

Intelligence – November, 16 2011

There are several new hotel partners in the SAS EuroBonus program including the Lungarno Collection, Mokara Hotel & Spas and Shaza Hotels. Park Plaza Hotels is also a new partner, offering 500 bonus points per stay through Jan. 31, 2012, in addition to 500 bonus points per night, up to five nights per stay. Regent
Hotels & Resorts will no longer be a partner in EuroBonus. …

American Airlines and Etihad Airways frequent flyers now have the opportunity to redeem frequent flyer miles on flights booked on each other’s networks. In the past, the partnership was earn only. …

Choice Privileges is a new hotel partner in the American Express Membership Rewards programs. Membership Rewards members can now transfer 1,000 Membership Rewards points into 1,000 Choice Privileges points. …

In addition to earning miles by purchasing GROUPON daily deals through e-Miles, members can now earn miles by purchasing GROUPON Getaways offers. Earn up to
1,500 bonus miles each month when shopping from your e-Miles home page. …

Southwest Airlines and Hilton HHonors are ending their partnership at the end of the year. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, Hilton HHonors members will no longer be able to earn Rapid Rewards points for hotel stays. …

Quark Expeditions has teamed up with United MileagePlus and members can earn one mile per dollar spent on a cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic on ships departing after Jan. 1, 2012. …

As reported by Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group, when American Airlines launched the first frequent flyer program in 1981, 26 airlines that flew jets operated in the U.S. Today, there are just the four network carriers–American, Delta, United and US Airways that control 56 percent of domestic capacity, plus four low-cost airlines–Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and Virgin America, which together control another 24 percent; along with a handful of niche airlines and regional carriers. …

Delta has teamed up with Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) to offer SkyMiles members one mile for every dollar billed and paid on their GNG bill, excluding taxes. Enroll at http://www.onlygng.com/skymiles. …

The St. Regis Hotel Vancouver is a new VOILA Hotel Rewards program partner and guests will be able to earn and redeem points with St. Regis Rewards and at VOILA hotels worldwide. …

Mandarin Oriental has entered a partnership with Delta SkyMiles and members can now earn 500 miles per stay at Mandarin Oriental and double miles per stay through Dec. 31, 2011. …

Gulf Air is adding three cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to its route network early next year: Gassim (Jan. 17), Taif (Jan. 15) and Yanbu (Feb. 15) and is offering triple Falconflyer miles on these routes for three months from the launch dates of each. …

American Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines are now reciprocal frequent flyer program partners. American AAdvantage members can earn and redeem miles for travel on all Kingfisher flights within India, and between India and Europe, Asia and the Middle East. …

United MileagePlus has partnered with e-Miles and MileagePlus members can earn miles for reading and responding to targeted advertisements. …

It looks likely that the parent company of British Airways and Iberia will buy bmi from Lufthansa by early next year pending regulatory clearances.