EtihadAirways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signeda new codeshare agreement with TAP Portugal, the national carrier ofPortugal.

Thedeal offers Etihad Airways guests a wealth of new flight options todestinations in Portugal including Lisbon, Faro, Funchal (Madeira)and Porto.  The new codeshare services will go on sale today,for travel from October 15.

Theagreement – Etihad Airways’ 34^thsuch commercial partnership – continues the Abu Dhabi-basedairline’s global network expansion.

Underthe codeshare, Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code onservices operated by TAP Portugal from Lisbon to Brussels,Düsseldorf, Faro, Frankfurt, Funchal, Geneva, London, Milan, andPorto.  TAP Portugal flights from Porto to Brussels and Genevawill also carry the ‘EY’ code.

TAPwill place its ‘TP’ code on Etihad Airways flights to and fromBrussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, and Milan.

JamesHogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “This newcodeshare illustrates Etihad’s growing ambitions in Europe. Itopens up four key destinations in Portugal that we have been eager tooffer our customers for a long time and we are certain theconnections and seamless flight experience offered by Etihad Airwaysand TAP Portugal will appeal to business and leisure travellers.”

FernandoPinto, TAP Portugal’s Chief Executive Officer said:  “TAPhas been very active in providing new and more diverse qualityservices to its worldwide customer base. Through this new agreementwith Etihad Airways, TAP will be reaching the United Arab Emiratesfor the first time ever, not only offering faster and more convenientlinks between the Gulf region and Portugal, but also attracting andcarrying new passengers to its own network, based at its functionalLisbon hub.”     

Source: Etihad Airways

American Airlines and Qantas, members of the oneworld® Alliance, today announced the next phase of their deepening commercial relationship, expanding the number of routes on which the airlines will codeshare between major cities across North America and Australia.
Qantas will codeshare on American Airlines flights to 28 new destinations from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American's largest hub. American Airlines will begin codesharing on Qantas services between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth as well as domestic services from Brisbane to Adelaide, Canberra, Cairns, Melbourne and Perth.
The expansion comes ahead of the launch of direct Qantas services from Sydney to DFW, on May 16, and will give Qantas customers unparalleled access to a wide range of major cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. New destinations include Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville and New York (Newark) – as well as Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.*


Members of both airlines' loyalty programs – the American Airlines AAdvantage® program and Qantas Frequent Flyer program – are able to accrue and redeem miles/points across the combined networks of both carriers.
As announced earlier this year, Qantas and American Airlines will shortly seek regulatory approval for closer collaboration from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and other relevant authorities.
Group Executive Qantas Airlines Commercial, Rob Gurney, said, "The new codeshares will help maximize the benefits of the new DFW service for passengers and underpin the enhancement of the Qantas-American Airlines relationship. This is an important step for Qantas as we prepare to begin flying to Dallas/Fort Worth and seek to deepen our relationship with American Airlines.


"With the addition of 28 new codeshare cities, Qantas' network out of DFW will total 54 destinations when we commence services in May, providing unprecedented choice and convenience for Australians visiting the USA.  Similarly, the Australian tourism industry will have the opportunity to tap into a huge market of potential US visitors.


"Expanding our codeshare arrangement with American Airlines allows us to capitalize fully on DFW's position as a major hub airport for business and leisure travel. As well as most major US cities, Qantas customers will be able to travel through DFW to Canada and Mexico, including such destinations as Toronto, Vancouver, Cancun and Mexico City.


"We have worked closely with American Airlines over many years, and with the commencement of services to Dallas/Fort Worth we look forward to taking our partnership to a new level," said Gurney.
Virasb Vahidi, American's Chief Commercial Officer, said, "Our expanded codeshare relationship with Qantas makes it easier and more convenient for our customers to travel on the global networks of both airlines. We are pleased to give our respective customers unprecedented access to destinations across North America and Australia. We are focused on delivering more choices, easier connections and a better overall travel experience, and this expanded relationship with our valued partner, Qantas, is a great example of those efforts."
Vahidi added, "Our strengthened relationship will further enhance our position in the growing trans-Pacific market, as well as in the respective home markets of each carrier, and make oneworld a stronger global alliance. We look forward to more opportunities to deepen our relationship with Qantas in the future."
The new codeshare destinations will be progressively made available for sale over the next month. A full list of Qantas codeshare destinations beyond DFW is listed below.

American Airlines-operated Qantas codeshare destinations beyond Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – new destinations in bold (*Canadian and Mexican destinations subject to regulatory approval):
ATL – Atlanta, GA
AUS – Austin, TX
BDL – Hartford, CT
BNA – Nashville, TN
BOS – Boston, MA
BWI – Baltimore, MD
CLE – Cleveland, OH
CLT – Charlotte, NC
CMH – Columbus, OH
CVG – Cincinnati, OH
CUN – Cancun, Mexico
DCA – Washington (Reagan), D.C.
DEN – Denver, CO
DSM – Des Moines, IA
DTW – Detroit, MI
EWR – Newark, NJ
FLL – Fort Lauderdale, FL
GDL – Guadalajara, Mexico
GRR – Grand Rapids, MI
HOU – Houston (Hobby),TX
IAD – Washington (Dulles), D.C.
IAH – Houston (Bush), TX
IND – Indianapolis, IN
JAX – Jacksonville, FL
LAS – Las Vegas, NV
LEX – Lexington, KY
LGA – New York (LaGuardia), NY
MCI – Kansas City, MO
MCO – Orlando, FL
MEM – Memphis, TN
MEX – Mexico City, Mexico
MIA – Miami, FL
MKE – Milwaukee, WI
MSN – Madison, WI
MSP – Minneapolis, MN
MSY – New Orleans, LA
MTY – Monterrey, Mexico
OKC – Oklahoma City, OK
OMA – Omaha, NE
ORD – Chicago, IL
ORF – Norfolk, VA
PHL – Philadelphia, PA
PHX – Phoenix, AZ
PIT – Pittsburgh, PA
PVR – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
RDU – Raleigh/Durham, NC
SAT – San Antonio, TX
SDF – Louisville, KY
STL – Saint Louis, MO
TPA – Tampa, FL
TUL – Tulsa, OK
YVR – Vancouver, Canada
YYC – Calgary, Canada
YYZ – Toronto, Canada
New Qantas-operated American Airlines codeshare destinations in Australia:
SYD – Sydney (from Dallas/Fort Worth)
ADL – Adelaide (from Brisbane)
CBR – Canberra (from Brisbane)
CNS – Cairns (from Brisbane)
MEL – Melbourne (from Brisbane)
PER – Perth (from Brisbane)

Source: American Airlines

Members of American Airlines AAdvantage and WestJet's Frequent Flyer Programs will be Able to Earn Miles or Rewards on Codeshare Flights

American Airlines and WestJet Airlines announced today they have entered into a comprehensive codeshare agreement, providing customers with more choices and greater connectivity when travelling between the United States and Canada.

The codeshare relationship, which is subject to regulatory approvals, will allow American to place its AA* code on WestJet flights, and WestJet to place its WS* code on flights of American Airlines and American Eagle.

The placement of AA* code on WestJet flights will provide American's customers seamless connecting service to up to 20 Canadian cities not currently served by American or American Eagle. WestJet will initially place its WS* code on American or American Eagle flights from Canada to Chicago and Boston, with expanded service throughout American Airlines network expected in the near future. The codeshare agreement will make it easier and more convenient for customers to connect from WestJet to American's global route network and from American to WestJet's Canadian operations.

Members of the American Airlines AAdvantage® program and WestJet's Frequent Guest Program® will be able to earn miles or rewards on the codeshare flights, providing customers another benefit of the enhanced relationship. The two airlines are exploring other ways to augment their cooperation in the future.

"Our codeshare with WestJet will further expand our North American network and provide our customers seamless connections to and from cities throughout Canada," said Virasb Vahidi, American's Chief Commercial Officer. "As a valuable result of NAFTA economic integration and the open skies aviation agreement between Canada and the United States, Canada has become an ever more important business and leisure destination for travelers from the U.S."

"This agreement with American Airlines marks an important milestone in WestJet's history," said Hugh Dunleavy, WestJet's Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Planning. "WestJet is executing our strategic plan to evolve our interline and codeshare capabilities. These initial routes should immediately enhance our reach and value proposition to business and corporate travellers, particularly in central Canada. We are very pleased to see the success of our efforts as we enter the first codeshare where WestJet will actively sell on another airline. We look forward to a successful relationship with American."

Shortly after all regulatory approvals are received, customers will be able to book these codeshare itineraries through travel agencies, most major North American online travel agency websites, www.aa.com, American Airlines Reservations at 800-433-7300, www.westjet.com or the WestJet Sales Super Centre at 1-888-937-8538.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

About the AAdvantage® Program

The AAdvantage program was the first frequent flyer program. Established in 1981, the program now has more than 66 million members. Members can earn miles at more than 1,000 participating companies, which include 27 hotel chains representing more than 60 brands, more than 20 airlines, eight car-rental companies, 11 financial companies, and over 500 brand name retailers. In addition, members can earn miles when making purchases with one of more than 100 affinity card products in over 40 countries. In 2010, AAdvantage members redeemed more than 165 billion miles to claim just fewer than 7.2 million awards for flights, upgrades and car rentals. For more information and a listing of AAdvantage program participating companies, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage.

About WestJet

WestJet is Canada's favourite airline, offering scheduled service throughout its 71-city North American and Caribbean network. Inducted into Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame and named one of Canada's best employers, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Named a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion, WestJet offers increased legroom, leather seats and live seatback television provided by Bell TV on its modern fleet of 93 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. With future confirmed deliveries for an additional 42 aircraft through 2018, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world.

Source: WestJet