Etihad Airways and American Airlines have agreed to enhance their existing codeshare relationship by offering their passengers the opportunity to earn frequent-flyer miles on flights booked on each other’s networks.
Starting June 1, 2011, members of Etihad Airways’ Etihad Guest frequent flyer programme and American Airlines’ Advantage programme will be able to earn miles on eligible American Airlines and Etihad Airways flights, respectively, says a press release.
The codeshare agreement between Etihad and American, in place since August 2009, delivers a combined codeshare network of more than 50 destinations worldwide. This agreement was further strengthened in 2010, when the codeshare was extended to Etihad’s flights in Pakistan, offering customers in Pakistan easy, convenient connections between Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore and key destinations in the United States including Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami and Houston.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “A key strength in Etihad’s growth has been the strategic development of our airline partnerships. American Airlines has a wide-reaching destination network and a highly loyal customer base, making them an ideal partner for us in expanding our global reach for our customers beyond the destinations we serve directly, while offering new services to our partner’s customers.
“The United States is a key market for Eithad and a popular destination for many of our customers in Pakistan. Etihad has seen substantial growth to and from the United States over the past few years and we are committed to strengthening the ties between the Pakistan and US markets through this agreement.”
Passengers transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being able to check in their luggage through to their ultimate destination.
Etihad Airways currently places its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services operated by the US carrier between Europe and the United States, as well as selected domestic services operated by American Airlines beyond New York and Chicago.
Etihad Airways currently flies to three destinations in North America: New York, Chicago and Toronto in Canada and commenced operations to Pakistan in 2004 with flights to and from Karachi. Etihad now offers services to Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore as well as 66 destinations across the globe.
American Airlines currently operates transatlantic services from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London, Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.
