Air Seychelles joins Etihad airline alliance to offer more air miles benefits to customers
From left to Right: Maurizio Merlo, CEO Darwin Airline; Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO airberlin, James Hogan, President and CEO Etihad Airways; Cramer Ball, CEO Jet Airways; Dane Kondi, CEO Air Serbia and Manoj Papa, CEO Air Seychelles at the launching of the Etihad Airways Partnership (Etihad Airways)
(Seychelles News Agency) - The national airline of the Seychelles has joined a new global airline alliance to offer its customers more frequent-flyer miles benefits and access lounges to its customers.
According to a press statement released by Etihad Airways yesterday, the Abu Dhabi-based airline has joined together with Air Seychelles in a six-airline partnership to offer a more enhanced network to travellers.
The other four airlines which form part of the Etihad Airways Partnership are Air Serbia, India’s Jet Airways, Darwin Airline and airberlin.
Airline alliances offer an increased network of lounge access as well as using frequent flyer miles on other member airlines. Member airlines can run special offers and codeshare agreements with other members to maximize revenues.
In the alliance market, Etihad is competing against three others: Star Alliance, Sky Team and oneworld and although it has begun its own alliance with a grouping of airlines it already owns a stake in, it will be trying to entice other airlines to join the group. Any airline can become an Etihad Airways Partner, even if it is part of an existing alliance.
Etihad bought a 40% share in the airline in 2012, investing $45 million in Air Seychelles, and the airline has delivered consistently positive results since, most recently announcing a 20 percent increase in its revenue for the first half of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013.
Air Seychelles offers direct flights to regional destinations including Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, South Africa and Hong Kong and recently announced its intentions to launch regular flights to India, Tanzania and Madagascar.
The Chief Executive of Etihad, James Hogan, said Etihad was broadening its business model for “like-minded airlines” to result in both greater efficiencies for member airlines as well as more benefits for the consumer.
“Frequent flyers will benefit from the formation of Etihad Airways Partners as it will remove the complexity and confusion that exists within the global alliances. We’re aiming to deliver a consistent experience for frequent flyers when they travel, as well as a consistent framework for earning and using their miles,” he said.
The benefits will include a standardised method of accumulating and claiming free miles across all the partner airlines, with no blackout periods.