Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Emirates have teamed up to allow their loyalty members to earn reciprocal points and miles.
The "Your World Rewards" promotion begins on November 19. It will allow Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members to earn one Starpoint per dollar spent, in addition to Skyward Miles, on all Emirates flights.
Similarly, silver, gold and platinum Skywards members can earn one mile per dollar spent, in addition to Starpoints, for stays at Starwood hotels globally.
SPG platinum members will also receive Skywards elite benefits such as priority boarding and check-in and free e-gate cards for flights in and out of Dubai, while Skywards platinum and gold members will receive SPG elite benefits including 4pm late check-out and free internet access in guest rooms.
The promotion is similar to the "Crossover Rewards" partnership Starwood has with Delta Air Lines (see news, February 2013).
However, Starwood president and CEO Frits van Paasschen told Business Traveller that while both schemes will run side-by-side, there is no conflict of interest.
He said: "The Delta relationship is one where we benefit primarily in North America. Because of Dubai being such an incredible hub to 140 different markets around the world, this is a way of bringing a very similar programme to Emirates as well... This enables us to pursue a similar opportunity in markets all around the world."
Van Paasschen also said that the personal data of those who sign up for Your World Rewards will not be exchanged between Starwood and Emirates.
He said: "We wouldn't be exchanging data, this is just a way for us to make possible the ability to join these loyalty programmes. Given the sensitivity around data transfer, particularly in Europe, that's something we're being very careful not to create an issue [with].
"For us, the personalisation and the use of information about our guests is something we do when we ask our guests to share with us what their preferences are and what they would like us to know about them so we can give them a better experience. But we do that in a very open and upfront way...
"We won't be sharing data between Emirates and Starwood about individual people."
Van Paasschen added: "This is an excellent way for us to expand our loyalty base and focus on a target group of travellers who are, by definition, quite attractive to us.
"And the same is absolutely true on the other end - Emirates now has an opportunity to reach out to a new base of travellers who have, through their affinity to us, they have an appetite for high-end hospitality."
starwoodhotels.com, emirates.com
Graham Smith
