IHG Hotels has teamed up with EasyJet to launch a joint loyalty program aimed squarely at small and medium enterprises, according to Business Travel News. The partnership pairs a major hotel group with a budget carrier, a combination that has been rare in corporate travel until now.

For coordinators who book for smaller teams, this matters because it opens a new source of leverage. Loyalty perks and negotiated rates have traditionally been the preserve of large companies with enough volume to command attention from full-service airlines and hotel chains. This deal signals that budget carriers now see enough value in business travel to build dedicated loyalty structures for smaller accounts.

What This Means for Business Travel

Budget airlines have spent the past few years chasing corporate revenue more aggressively, adding flexible fares, priority boarding, and simplified expense tools. A cross-brand loyalty tie-up with a hotel group is the next logical step. It gives EasyJet and IHG a combined offer that can compete with the bundled perks larger carriers and hotel groups already provide to enterprise clients.

For SMEs, this could mean access to points, discounts, or status benefits that were previously out of reach without significant annual spend. It also suggests other budget carriers and mid-tier hotel brands may follow with similar partnerships, giving smaller travel programs more options to compare and negotiate against.

Travel Coordination Take

  1. Ask your IHG and EasyJet account contacts for early details on eligibility, enrollment timing, and whether the program applies retroactively to existing bookings.
  2. Compare the combined value of this program against your current preferred vendor arrangements before committing, since a new loyalty scheme is only useful if the earn rates and redemption terms beat what you already have.
  3. Flag the partnership to finance or procurement, since a joint program could simplify reporting if flights and hotel stays start earning into a single account.
  4. Watch for how this affects your negotiating position with existing suppliers. Even if you do not switch, having a credible alternative can help when renewing rates with current partners.
  5. Brief frequent travelers early so they know to link accounts or update booking profiles once enrollment opens, rather than missing out on early perks.

Key Takeaway

Budget carriers are no longer content to compete on price alone, and this partnership gives smaller companies a real seat at the loyalty table for the first time. Coordinators who move early to evaluate and enroll will be the ones capturing the benefit, not scrambling to catch up once it becomes standard practice.