MGM Grand launches marketing program with airline

The MGM Grand hotel-casino will link its slot machine club to American Airlines' frequent-flier club in what MGM calls an unprecedented marketing agreement between an airline and a casino.

The agreement, announced today by MGM Grand, allows members of the hotel's Directors Club to earn frequent-flier mileage through American's AAdvantage program through slot and video poker play, guest stays at the hotel and by purchasing tickets to MGM's production show, "EFX."

Under terms of the agreement, one AAdvantage mile will be earned for every two Directors Club points earned.

In addition, each hotel night stay will earn 500 mile points and customers who purchase tickets to "EFX" will earn 250 mile points per ticket.

"This important new partnership with American Airlines adds another dimension to the customer's experience," MGM Grand hotel-casino President Dan Wade said in a release announcing the program. "This alliance compliments our existing marriage with Marriott hotel services, reinforcing the power of global branding among the leaders in the travel industry."

"AAdvantage members will be winners with this program that offers exciting new ways to earn miles while enjoying all that MGM Grand has to offer," Bruce Chemel, president of the American Airlines AAdvantage marketing division, said in the release.

American is the No. 6 carrier by passenger volume at McCarran International Airport. A McCarran spokesman said today that American averages about 10 flights a day though McCarran, serving Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport with direct service.

American will be one of the new residents of the new D Concourse gates when they open next month. The company flies twin-engine MD-80 jets exclusively in Las Vegas, planes with a capacity of about 139 people.

Chicago and Dallas are hub cities for the nation's second-largest airline, which serves 96 U.S. destinations and 203 worldwide. American is heavily involved in code-sharing and other marketing agreements with other airlines, car rental agencies, hotels and theme parks. It also is a sister company to American Eagle, which serves several small communities as a commuter airline.

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