American Airlines' Clubs To Feature Lenovo PCs

Members using American Airlines' Admirals Club facilities may soon find access to computing resources easier after the airline on Thursday revealed an alliance with Lenovo that will bring PCs, notebooks, and printers into each of the airport lounges.

Beginning this quarter, American plans to begin installing computer equipment in each of its 43 Admirals Clubs worldwide. Each club will receive a minimum of four PCs, two notebooks, and two printers. In total, Lenovo is expected to provide 206 ThinkCentre desktops, 206 ThinkVision 17-inch flat-panel displays, 43 ThinkPad X41 notebooks, 43 ThinkPad z-Series wide-screen notebooks, and 113 IBM printers.

The relationship is expected to aid American in building a stronger relationship with its business clients who use the clubs. It also provides a link to Lenovo, which has long been the largest PC manufacturer in China, as the airline carrier begins operations between Shanghai and the United States in April. For Lenovo, which acquired the PC operations of IBM last year, the relationship allows the company to establish visibility in the marketplace in the United States among the many Admirals Club members.

American Airlines and Lenovo are also expected to entering into joint marketing and promotional activities. The installation services for the agreement will be provided by IBM, including the loading of software and testing.