Nearly 14,000 sectors ticketed during first week of operation. 16 new destinations include Bratislava, Zanzibar, Kathmandu and Kilimanjaro; Combined network expected to reach 240 destinations by 2022.
SINGAPORE – Building on the success of the initial phase of the partnership, Emirates and flydubai announced 16 additional destinations Emirates’ passengers will be able travel to on a single ticket.
With the expanded network, Emirates passengers can now travel to the charming capital city of Slovenia, Bratislava; the compact, Balkan capital of Montenegro, Podgorica; or explore exotic destinations like Zanzibar, Kathmandu and Kilimanjaro.
Travellers can book on Emirates.com, through Emirates’ Contact Centres, or via travel agents for travel commencing from 8 November 2017.
Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark said: “We are thrilled with the positive response from travellers. Nearly 14,000 sectors have been ticketed during the first week of operation, surpassing our expectations. We have witnessed strong demand for travel from Europe and the United States to South Asian destinations."
"This partnership is an unprecedented opportunity for both airlines to unleash the combined power of their networks, offering travellers greater choice and flexibility when planning their trips. We want to make exploring the world as friendly and as convenient as possible.”
flydubai Chief Executive Officer, Ghaith Al Ghaith said: “The many benefits of Dubai’s international aviation hub have been recognised by travellers who have already shown that they are keen to explore the world together. Today’s announcement will allow them to discover another 16 destinations as well as enjoy the unique personality of each airline.”
New codeshare destinations:
- Djibouti (Djibouti)
- Hargeisa (Somalia)
- Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
- Zanzibar (Tanzania)
- Yerevan (Armenia)
- Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
- Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Istanbul – Sabiha Gokcen (Turkey)
- Voronezh (Russia)
- Makhachkala (Russia)
- Ufa (Russia)
- Chittagong (Bangladesh)
- Sylhet (Bangladesh)
- Kathmandu (Nepal)
- Mattala Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka)
- Podgorica (Montenegro)
Emirates and flydubai will continue to offer a travel experience reflective of each other’s brand. For bookings under the codeshare, Emirates passengers will receive complimentary meals and Emirates checked baggage allowance on flights operated by flydubai in both Business and Economy Class.
Connecting via Dubai’s ultra-modern hub offers a smooth transfer experience. With the partnership, passengers will benefit from a reduced minimum connection time (MCT) between Emirates’ home in Terminal 3 and flydubai’s in Terminal 2 of 120 minutes.
More benefits for frequent flyers
Emirates Skywards members can earn Skywards miles and Skywards Tier Miles on codeshare flights as per the existing Skywards mileage programme.
In addition to Emirates free checked baggage allowance, Skywards Premium members can also enjoy their extra checked baggage allowances of 20kg (Platinum members), 16kg (Gold members) and 12kg (Silver members) on codeshare flights operated by flydubai.
Skywards Silver, Gold and Platinum members travelling on codeshare flights can access flydubai’s Business Check-in counters and receive priority tags.
Further benefits for members of each airlines’ frequent flyer and loyalty programmes will be announced in due course.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
