Collinson, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, and owner and operator of Priority Pass, today announces an expansion of its partnership with China Eastern Airlines; through which 24 airport lounges in mainland China will be added to Priority Pass’ network. These new additions complement the current China Eastern Airlines operated lounge at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, which was made available to the Priority Pass network last year. This country-wide collaboration with China Eastern Airlines’ headquarters underscores Collinson’s commitment to enhancing global travel experiences. Of the 24 newly-added airport lounges to the Priority Pass network, 20 are live as of today. The expanded partnership comes at a time when the travel market in mainland China continues to recover at pace. China’s domestic travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, as evidenced by the recent May Day holiday, where 295 million domestic trips were made – an uptick of 28.2% versus the same period in 2019. Inbound travel volumes are expected to recover to 50% of 2019 levels in 2025, while Chinese outbound travel volumes are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels next year.
With travel continuing to return, travellers in mainland China are placing a heightened focus on experiences that add value to their journey. A recent Collinson consumer insights report revealed that airport lounge access is the number one most desirable travel benefit at the airport – 65% of travellers in mainland China feel valued as a customer when they are given access to an airport lounge. China Eastern Airlines’ portfolio of airport lounges offers a variety of unique experiences that reflects the local culture and tradition of the city that the airport lounge is present in. Visitors can immerse themselves in cultural experiences such as local folk culture exhibits, traditional festival treats and tea art performances. They can also experience a taste of popular local delights such as the highly acclaimed "MU Noodles” as well as traditional Yunnan and Sichuan cuisine. For travellers visiting the China Eastern Airlines No 101 lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, they can also enjoy a picturesque view of the sunset at the outdoor platform facing the tarmac*. “This is an exciting time for the travel industry in mainland China, particularly with the travel market recovering at pace and with the increased demand for travel experiences – such as access to airport lounges,” said Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President, Collinson International.
“We’ve made significant strides in enhancing the travel experience via our partnership with China Eastern Airlines and we are delighted to continue elevating every journey into something special.”
This news follows Collinson’s recent announcement of their strategic joint venture with Joyful Journey Group, a leading air and rail digital travel experiences partner, to form ‘Joyful Journey Priority Pass’ in mainland China. The strategic alliance brings multiple value-added benefits including market-specific agile technology, an expanded inventory of airport lounges and an enhanced traveller experience.
To date, Priority Pass has a network of more than 550 airport lounges and travel experiences in Asia Pacific, and over 1,500 globally across the world’s major travel zones.
*Accessibility to the outdoor platform at China Eastern Airlines No 101 lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport is subjected to operational considerations.
