Dubai’s Emirates enters into agreement with Huawei

Emirates has announced a collaboration with Huawei for the latter to promote the airline’s app to Huawei phone users.

Beginning January 2020, the Emirates app was made available on Huawei’s AppGallery.

Since then, there are over half-a-million downloads of the Emirates app from the AppGallery.

The latest collaboration between Huawei and Emirates includes SmartCard Integration, providing a quick booking option for Emirates app users in the Chinese mainland and the UAE, as well as the ability for them to easily access their travel and flight information.

“It’s our pleasure to build a collaboration with Huawei in order to provide the best possible customer experience, not only onboard and on the ground, but also online. Considering Huawei’s strong market position in the Chinese mainland and the UAE, we are proud to collaborate with them on promoting our app. The engaging tools that are available on the Huawei AppGallery can help us create closer bonds and experiences with more customers, especially in China, which is a significant market for us,” said a spokesperson for Emirates.

“The next phase of our collaboration will roll out soon and is aimed at benefitting passengers at every step of their journey, from trip planning to arriving at their destination,” added the spokesperson.

Subsequent phases of the association will involve the integration of the Emirates app with the Huawei Wallet platform.

That feature will enable Skywards members to store membership details and loyalty points, in addition to boarding passes and vouchers in the Huawei Wallet. Also, Emirates customers will also soon be able to enter any of the airline’s worldwide lounges by simply tapping their Huawei device at the door.

In a press statement by Emirates, the airline said that the “collaboration may also extend in the near future to include payment options and rewarding experiences, allowing easy redemptions of Skywards Miles and the ability to earn Huawei points.”

Users can also earn rewards points from designated banks in the UAE, to be used for the purchase of Emirates tickets or Huawei phones and accessories.

Redemptions can be made with car rental companies, telecommunication providers as well as airport taxi partners too.

The Emirates app provides easy access to a range services and functions from flight search and air ticket booking, to check-in, seat and meal selection, as well as Skywards login and account information.

The AppGallery is reportedly one of the top three app marketplaces globally, and is available in more than 170 countries and being used by 700 million users worldwide.

“In this era, where consumer behaviours have changed as we emerge from the pandemic, people rely more than ever on their smartphones to make decisions, including travel-related ones. This encouraging collaboration paves the way for us to explore future solutions and bringing even more inspiration to travellers and making their travel more convenient and rewarding,” said Lu Geng, director Middle East and Africa Partnerships and Eco-Development at Huawei Consumer Business Group.

Emirates meanwhile has now resumed flights to 84 destinations around the world.