Dubai: Taking its alliance with Qantas one step forward, Emirates has opened up bookings to a number of Qantas domestic destinations, for travel from March 31, 2013.
“Emirates customers can now choose from 32 Australian destinations that Qantas operates to including Canberra, Port Lincoln, Cairns and Hobart, opening up Australia to passengers from all over the Emirates network,” Emirates said in a statement on Wednesday.
The move comes shortly after the two carriers gained interim authorisation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on January 17 for the proposed partnership, which remains subject to final regulatory approval in relevant jurisdictions.
Following this, Emirates and Qantas are also finalising other details of their partnership, including joint pricing, schedules and additional frequent flyer benefits.
For instance, Emirates’ Skywards members will be able to earn Skywards miles on Qantas international flights and domestic flights effective March 31, Emirates stated, adding that Qantas Frequent Flyers will also be able to earn points on all Emirates flights.
“With 12 daily flights between Dubai and five Australian cities, Australia is a very strong market for Emirates,” Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales Worldwide, said in a statement.
