Emirates, Qantas extend ties to help boost travel recovery

The agreement was signed by Emirates President, Tim Clark, and Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, at the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in Boston…reports Asian Lite News

Emirates and Qantas, the Australian carrier, have announced to extend their cornerstone partnership for another five years, meaning customers and frequent flyers of both airlines will have access to an expansive joint network, and millions of reward seats to travel across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK.

The agreement was signed by Emirates President, Tim Clark, and Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, at the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in Boston.

The airlines have existing approvals from regulators to operate a joint business until March 2023. Qantas and Emirates will seek re-authorisation from relevant regulators, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to continue the core elements of the partnership including coordination of pricing, schedules, sales and tourism marketing on approved routes until 2028.

ALSO READ: Emirates to roll out IATA Travel Pass across six continents

The deal includes an option to renew for another five years beyond that.

Together, both airlines are making millions of reward seats available for frequent flyers to access more than 100 destinations using their Qantas Points or Skywards Miles, which many have been stockpiling throughout the pandemic.

For Emirates customers, the deal provides access to over 55 Australian destinations that Emirates does not fly to, and Qantas customers can fly on Emirates to Dubai and access over 50 cities in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, that Qantas does not fly to.

As Qantas and Emirates recover from the impact that COVID-19 has had on their respective businesses, the partnership will continue to deliver financial upside for both airlines.

Commenting on the partnership, Clark said, “The extension of our partnership with Qantas is testament to its success. It also reflects our commitment to ensure customers travelling to and from Australia, a market which we have served for 25 years, continue to have the best connections and frequent flyer benefits. Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, today’s announcement reinforces that Emirates is here for the long haul.

Joyce, in turn, commented, “This marks the continuation of one of the most significant bilateral partnerships in aviation. We called it ‘seismic’ when it launched in 2013 and it has been, especially in terms of what it’s meant for over 13 million people who have travelled on flights that form part of the deal.”