Qantas and Emirates have opened up bookings for their new joint network which begins operating from the end of March.
The new 10-year partnership has already received interim clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) last month for their new global partnership.
Final authorisation for the Emirates-Qantas partnership is expected to be given by Australian regulators in March.
The Emirates-Qantas agreement takes effect from March 31 as soon as Qantas' 17-year joint business agreement with British Airways ends.
The partnership will not only integrate the two carriers’ networks but will also see Qantas shift its gateway to Europe from Singapore to Dubai, and it will also link the two frequent flyer programmes, providing “reciprocal access to tier status benefits”.
Simon Hickey, chief executive of Qantas International said: “No airline can fly everywhere but the combined Qantas and Emirates network means our customers can fly to a wide range of destinations and earn frequent flyer points in the process.
“One of the main advantages our customers will notice is a one-stop access to a much wider range of cities across Europe via Dubai, rather than having to fly to London and backtrack.”
This partnership between the two flagship carriers is part of Qantas International’s plans to shake up its business strategy in order to return the carrier’s “international performance to profitability in the short term”.
www.qantas.com.au
www.emirates.com