Airlines reshape rewards
Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates are dominating premium travel demand — a shift credited with fueling growth in luxury hotels across Spain and the U.S. this season. — ITA Airways will join the Miles & More loyalty programme in April, and carriers are upgrading premium‑economy cabins with wider seats and deeper recline to capture that higher‑spend segment. (travelandtourworld.com) (thetraveler.org) (simpleflying.com)
Miles & More and ITA set the roll‑out date: registration for ITA passengers opens April 1, 2026, via ita‑airways.com and the airline’s app as the carrier becomes a fully integrated partner. (miles-and-more.com) Miles & More reports the program has about 39 million members and will give ITA customers access to 35 airline partners and more than 135 non‑air partners from the first mile. (miles-and-more.com) ITA’s press release notes ownership split and integration context: ITA Airways is 59% owned by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and 41% by Deutsche Lufthansa AG, framing the Miles & More move as part of wider Lufthansa Group integration. (ita-airways.com) Airlines are treating premium economy as a revenue sweet spot: SimpleFlying reports carriers are installing wider seats, deeper recline, dedicated leg/footrests and larger screens to capture higher‑spend leisure and small‑business travellers. (simpleflying.com) Manufacturers and operators are funding premium front‑of‑cabin upgrades: Emirates’ “Project Phoenix” is a roughly $5 billion retrofit of 777s to 1‑2‑1 layouts with 21‑inch seats and 44‑inch pitch, while Qatar’s Qsuite variants offer beds up to about 103 inches and seat widths near 23 inches. (simpleflying.com) Spain’s tourism backbone remains strong after 2025’s surge—97 million international arrivals and €135 billion in tourist spending were recorded—and Spain’s hotel market reported ~70.3% average occupancy and a 6.3% RevPAR increase year‑on‑year in 2025, supporting growth in high‑end resorts. (caixabankresearch.com) (cushmanwakefield.com) Institutional investors are targeting luxury and trophy hotel assets for 2026 while U.S. forecasts show luxury and upper‑upscale segments leading recovery: CoStar/Tourism Economics projects U.S. hotel RevPAR growth around 2.1% in 2026, and market research pegs the U.S. luxury hotel market at about $45.9 billion in 2026. (jll.com) (dlr.skift.com) (mordorintelligence.com)
