When two loyalty programs start working together, the value for travelers can increase significantly and that’s exactly what makes the new partnership between IHG One Rewards and ANA Mileage Club so interesting. These two programs have joined forces to offer members a range of useful benefits, including the ability to match elite status, earn rewards in both programs on select ANA flights, and transfer points between the two. For travelers who already hold status in either program or frequently travel between international destinations and Japan, this collaboration is definitely worth paying attention to. 

Elite Status Matching

The first of the offered partnership advantages that will interest frequent flyers the most is the possibility of elite status matching. In this case, the matching takes place only in one direction - from ANA Mileage Club into IHG One Rewards. So, if you've achieved a certain elite status in ANA Mileage Club, now you can become the owner of a similar status in IHG One Rewards without accumulating even a single qualifying night at any of its hotels.

The status matching process takes place according to the following scheme:

• ANA Diamond + More → IHG Diamond Elite status
• ANA Diamond → IHG Platinum Elite status
• ANA Platinum → IHG Gold Elite status
• ANA Bronze → IHG Silver Elite status

All that you need to get this advantage is to enroll simultaneously in both programs. After this procedure, the obtained status will be transferred to your IHG One Rewards account, giving you the right to enjoy all the privileges associated with this status. These include room upgrades, late checkout, and priority recognition at participating IHG properties worldwide.

It is especially relevant for ANA loyalists who spend much time in hotels but did not focus on their stays in IHG hotels before. The hotel chain operates several hotel brands such as InterContinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, and Holiday Inn, and its global portfolio includes more than 6,000 hotels. Such a portfolio is really useful for frequent business trips around the world.

Double-Dip Earnings on Select ANA Flights

The second feature of the cooperation concerns the problem of earning miles in loyalty programs. Most often, members of various programs face a question of choosing in which program they want to accumulate their points. To solve this problem, you can try to use the advantage provided by this partnership: now on select international ANA-ticketed and ANA-operated flights to Japan, members of both programs can earn miles simultaneously.

IHG One Rewards points will be granted based on flight distance and fare class, that is, longer flights in higher booking classes will bring more points than short-haul economy travel. At the moment, there is no information about earning rates by fare class and distance band, but the double-dip option allows you to earn hotel points for your flights anyway.

In this regard, it will be useful for travelers who frequently travel for work or pleasure on ANA flights and stay in IHG hotels during their trips. There is high demand in Japan for this type of travel among international business people.

Two-Way Point Transfers Between IHG and ANA

The third aspect of the partnership is the opportunity to transfer points between IHG One Rewards and ANA Mileage Club. Previously, it was possible only to convert points from IHG One Rewards to ANA Mileage Club but now you can use this service in both directions.

Here is the current information about point transfers:

• IHG → ANA: 5:1 ratio (10,000 IHG points = 2,000 ANA miles), minimum 10,000 points per transfer.
• ANA → IHG: the transferability of ANA miles has just been confirmed as part of the new. partnership, but at the moment, there is no information about the exact transfer rates.
• Account links must be completed in advance before transferring points.
• Timelines and possible charges for transferring points will be announced later.

The most interesting thing about this partnership is the reverse transfer from ANA Mileage Club to IHG One Rewards. As you know, ANA is one of the best carriers in terms of mileage value, especially when it comes to booking suites and business class cabins on flights to and from Japan or using its partners' flights within Star Alliance. Therefore, the conversion rate will determine the usefulness of this transfer option for most travelers.  

When Does the Partnership Start?

As mentioned above, the partnership will start "after October". This announcement does not provide any specific information, but it clearly indicates that currently, there are no ways to use the proposed features. The implementation of status matching, earning points on select ANA flights, and transferring points between IHG and ANA requires waiting for the official launch of the partnership.

However, the preparation for this is quite simple and consists of signing up for both loyalty programs. Only this condition will allow you to get IHG status as an ANA member and earn IHG points on ANA flights. Moreover, it will help you receive the benefits of status matching since its implementation requires enrolling in both programs.

Since the conditions for the implementation of this cooperation have been published officially, you can expect further updates about the date of launching the partnership and the conditions for transferring ANA miles to IHG soon.

Is This Partnership Worth It?

From this point of view, the answer to this question is ambiguous. If you are an ANA member and frequently travel abroad, this partnership will bring you many benefits. You do not need to stay in IHG hotels to receive elite status in this program. Therefore, the obtained status will be extremely helpful for future travels.

In turn, for IHG members, this partnership is also beneficial. Now, you will be able to earn points in two programs on select flights and use them for booking flights or hotels. The reverse transfer of points is also useful for accumulating ANA miles to book flights in premium cabins.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this partnership has created some new opportunities for earning and utilizing miles. In particular, the opportunity to match the status in IHG and ANA is very interesting. Despite the fact that this partnership has not been launched yet, you have everything you need to implement these features right away.