With both Dubai-based airlines entering their 3rd
year of strategic partnership, over 5.27 million passengers have benefitted
from seamless connectivity on the Emirates and flydubai network.
In addition, some 800,000 Emirates Skywards members have
earned over 1.5 billion Skywards Miles on Emirates and flydubai codeshare
itineraries in the last 12 months.
Marking the milestone as the partnership enters into its
third year, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive
of Emirates Group, and Chairman of flydubai said: "The strategic partnership
between Emirates and flydubai has been a success, generating benefits for
travellers, for both airlines, and for Dubai. Moving forward, both Emirates and
flydubai will continue to develop the partnership to deliver even better
customer journeys and better value for travellers and all stakeholders."
Today, Emirates passengers can seamlessly connect to 94
destinations on the flydubai network via Dubai International airport, and
flydubai passengers can access 143 Emirates destinations. Globally, the
favourite flydubai destinations for Emirates passengers are: Belgrade,
Bucharest, Catania, Kathmandu, Kiev, Kilimanjaro, Krakow, Salalah, Tbilisi, and
Zanzibar.
The strategic partnership between Emirates and flydubai goes
beyond code-sharing in permitted markets, and includes initiatives that span
commercial activity such as schedule co-ordination to offer customers more
competitive prices, network planning and airport operations to facilitate the
smooth flow of passengers between both airlines, and the alignment of frequent
flyer programmes to boost earning and redemption opportunities.
Better connectivity in Dubai
On 27 October 2019, flights to seven more destinations have
relocated from flydubais current operating base of Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 at
Dubai International airport (DXB), offering travellers more seamless
connections between the Emirates and flydubai networks with smooth and quick
transit times. This move means connecting passengers can enjoy shorter minimum
connecting times in Dubai at just 90 minutes.
Flights from Dubai to Almaty, Basra, Dar es Salaam,
Kilimanjaro, Nur-Sultan, Sofia, and Zanzibar now operate from Terminal 3,
bringing the number of flydubai destinations operated out of DXB Terminal 3 to
22.
More benefits under common loyalty programme
Emirates Skywards became the common loyalty programme for
both Emirates and flydubai customers in August 2018 offering members greater
convenience and simplicity with one loyalty currency, and a single metric for
earning and redeeming Miles.
Flight benefits remain the most popular redemption option,
with members spending some 500 million Miles on flydubai flights in the past
year, with top destinations being: Dubai, Beirut, Karachi, Alexandria, Tbilisi,
Sabiha Gokcen, Bucharest, and Baku.
The combined base of over 25 million Skywards members is
also more active than before as the loyalty programme continues to enhance its
partner portfolio and increase opportunities for members to earn and redeem
Miles, and more quickly attain their next tier status and enjoy benefits such
as lounge access and fast track lanes for immigration and check in.
Network and schedule efficiencies
The partnership has enabled both airlines to optimise their
network and aircraft utilisation, with successes in ensuring customers are
served year-round on routes with "seasonal" patterns, and while opening up
opportunities for both carriers to serve new markets.
An example is the seasonal handover on the Dubai-Zagreb
route where Emirates operates its large wide-body aircraft during the summer
schedule, while flydubais single-aisle aircraft is deployed during the winter
schedule. On 10 December, the Dubai-Yangon route will be operated by flydubai
instead of Emirates, enabling the latter to concentrate on developing the
Thailand and Cambodia markets.
Successful network optimisation between both airlines on
flights to Multan, Mashad, Bangkok, Dhaka and Male had also freed up capacity
for flydubai to re-deploy to open new markets including Krakow, Catania,
Helsinki, Naples, Sochi and Krabi.
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