Diamond Sponsor American Airlines Lands On CTW China 2018, Dreams Big With Debut

World’s largest airline and oneworld® founding member, American Airlines’ inaugural partnership with CTW China 2018 at the highest Diamond Sponsor tier saw the airline host an exclusive luncheon for 195 corporate buyers and further their brand reach through their table top showcase alongside Pacific Joint Business (PJB) partners, Japan Airlines.

While it was American’s first appearance at CTW China this year, the brand had previously invested at Corporate Travel Forum (CTF) Beijing, a one-day conference roadshow organised by TTG Events and Carlson Wagonlit Travel China that took place in November 2017, which served as a preview to CTW China 2018.

Elaborating on the reason behind choosing a hosted luncheon as their preferred networking platform of choice, Maxine Peng, General Manager – China, American Airlines shared, “CTW China is a good fit for us to establish relationships with our Pacific Joint Business partners and grow our B2B relationships with corporate and MICE group buyers. We chose a luncheon to engage our desired audience here because of the informal and relaxed setting amidst good food, allowing us to share the benefits American Airlines has to offer the Chinese market.”

Celebrating the 12th year of their presence in the China market, their current strategy focuses on reaching out more actively to the B2B sector and growing their network. Evidently, their recent strategic partnership with China Southern, China’s biggest airline and one of the big 3 operating airlines, at a US$200 million commitment to expand connections between China and the U.S. have certainly advanced and solidified their place in China.

American currently services from hubs in Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth and Los Angeles to Shanghai and Beijing on top of their already wide network within key Asia-Pacific business markets like Hong Kong, Seoul, Sydney, and Tokyo. Last November, American launched daily non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Beijing. Their partnership with China Southern, whose primary hub is located in Guangzhou, has already begun codeshare, resulting in customers across both airlines gaining access to even more destinations in China as well as North and South America.

Of American Airlines’ footprint in the marketplace, Peng said, “American Airlines has the youngest fleet of planes among all the US carriers, averaging at 9.6 years in 2017. Further, all flights between China mainland and US destinations use the Dreamliner Boeing 787, and Hong Kong the Boeing 777-300. To strengthen our collaboration, we moved from T3 to T2 at the Beijing International Airport to be in same terminal as China Southern so that we can offer customers a seamless connection experience.”

According to a 2017 travel report by the airline, nearly 210 million customers flew American last year across 2.2 million flights operated worldwide. To date, they codeshare with 29 airlines including Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qantas in Asia-Pacific.

Corporate Travel World (CTW) China 2018 was held from 20 – 22 March in Shanghai and co-located with IT&CM China, the leading international MICE event in China. To explore how you can make the most out of the exhibition, sponsorship, and networking opportunities at CTW China, contact us at ctwchina@ttgasia.com. 

For more information, visit www.corporatetravelworld.com/china | WeChat ID: CTW-CH