Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, have announced a fresh collaboration between their loyalty programs following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two airline groups in September 2023.
As a result of this collaboration, customers of Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways would gain access to over 60 new routes spanning global destinations, allowing them to earn and redeem miles across this extended network.
This partnership officially started on November 27, 2023, building upon Air France‘s commencement of operations from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi International Airport last October.
Further, this partnership enables members of Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, and members of Etihad Guest, the loyalty program for Etihad Airways, to now earn and use Miles in either loyalty program while traveling on Air France, KLM, or Etihad flights. Additional reciprocal benefits for elite members will be disclosed shortly, the airline shared.
“This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world. The attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination and a hub, powered by Etihad’s large footprint spanning South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, brings significant richness to this partnership,” said Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Air France-KLM.
Currently, Air India already operates a robust network of 26 flights to Bangkok per week, including daily non-stop flights from Delhi and Mumbai, along with six weekly flights from Kolkata. Additionally, passengers flying with Air India can avail connections via Bangkok to and from 10 prominent destinations in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, leveraging the interline partnership with Bangkok Airways.
Flying Blue Miles offer a spectrum of benefits, including redeemable options for flights, global hotel accommodations, car rentals, and products available at the Flying Blue Store. Similarly, Etihad Guest Miles can be utilised for flights, global hotel stays, vacation packages, and products featured in the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.“Our 9 million Etihad Guest Members will now have access to earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles when flying with Air France-KLM giving even greater opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the programme. We look forward to welcoming Flying Blue members on to the expanding Etihad network to earn Flying Blue Miles as they choose to fly with Etihad,” said Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad.
“This moment marks our shared commitment to providing seamless, premium, customer-centric travel experiences to our shared global customer base and our 20 million loyal Flying Blue members,” added Clarke.
Presently, Air France operates daily flights connecting Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport, while Etihad offers daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
