THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACC) has approved of the partnership between Qantas and Emirates for a period of five years, following a six-month review process that began in 2012.
The tie-up will allow passengers to travel seamlessly through international and Australian networks and gain from frequent flyer benefits on both airlines.
Qantas and Emirates will also at least maintain their current capacities on the four routes they operate between Australia and New Zealand. Subject to approval in New Zealand, the ability to cooperate on these routes will allow airlines to market both Australia and New Zealand to their global networks.
Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said: “Customers are already responding very strongly to the joint network that Qantas and Emirates have built, and to the frequent flyer benefits that extend across it, with a significant increase in bookings.”
In September last year, Qantas inked a global agreement with Emirates, which saw the former drop Singapore as a stopover on the Kangaroo Route and the end of its partnership with British Airways on the sector (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 6, 2012).
The ACCC gave preliminary approval to the partnership in January this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 17, 2013), enabling the carriers to work together on joint sales, marketing and pricing strategies.
Qantas and Emirates offer a total of 98 flights a week between Australia and Dubai, with Qantas continuing daily services from Melbourne and Sydney to London, via Dubai. Passengers transiting in Dubai can connect to 65 one-stop destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
