Friday, Apr 20, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai Emirates yesterday said it has signed a one-way codeshare deal with JetBlue, offering customers travelling to the US seamless connections to a dozen US cities.
“Emirates’ network within the US will soon extend to almost 20 cities through our partner JetBlue,” Thierry Antinori, Emirates executive vice-president of passenger sales worldwide, said in a statement.
The two airlines have been interline partners since 2010, enabling customers to enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and JetBlue-operated flights, plus other benefits including one-stop check-in and baggage transfer, Emirates stated, adding that the codeshare will further strengthen the relationship between the two carriers.
The move comes close on the heels of Emirates’ recent launch of daily services to Dallas/Fort Worth in February and to Seattle-Tacoma in March. The carrier now serves six US gateways, with a non-stop daily service to its seventh US destination, Washington, due to begin on September 12.
Rivals Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have also been trying to expand their footprints in the US market with several destinations due to be launched in the near future.
“It’s too early to tell whether the other two Gulf carriers will reciprocate with their own moves with other US-based airlines,” says analyst Saj Ahmad of StrategicAero Research. “If nothing else, this deal will certainly raise eyebrows at Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways who won’t have seen this move coming.”
Business travel
From Emirates’ perspective, Ahmad says that with the US being the world’s financial centre, Emirates will “likely tap into key business travellers, most of whom pay top dollar for flights too.
“That will be a big revenue driver and further assist the airline’s penetration and presence in North America,” he said.
Emirates said its customers can connect to JetBlue services at New York’s JFK Airport.
By Shweta Jain?Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
