Regarding travelling through Dubai (DXB), one carrier is always first to come to mind: Emirates. But the Government of Dubai — the parent “company” of Emirates Airline — has also invested significantly in EK’s low-cost counterpart, Flydubai.
Emirates and Flydubai have announced a comprehensive partnership agreement under which the two Dubai-based airlines will work together to provide customers with unrivalled travel options. Beyond code sharing, the innovative collaboration includes integrated network collaboration and coordinated scheduling. Both airlines will continue to operate independently but use each other’s networks to scale up operations and accelerate growth.
The partnership will enhance customer experience by providing a more comprehensive range of connections, increased frequencies and a seamless travel experience through Dubai International Airport (DXB). Emirates will also benefit from Flydubai’s extensive network in India and Africa.
Both airlines will coordinate flight schedules between their respective hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as at DXB, as part of the agreement. This will allow them to offer customers more convenient connections across their combined networks and excellent choices when planning their trips.
Flydubai and Emirates will join forces to offer their customers seamless connectivity to each other’s networks. Flydubai customers will gain access to Emirates’ worldwide destinations spanning six continents, while Emirates’ customers will gain access to Flydubai’s robust regional network.
The two airlines will expand their hub at Dubai International, aligning their systems and operations to ensure a seamless travel experience through the ultramodern airport, which is currently the busiest in the world for international passengers.
Emirates Group and Flydubai announced today the formation of a single airline, combining their respective strengths and resources. The new airline will be led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group and chairman of Emirates Flydubai.
With a fleet of 259 wide-body aircraft serving 157 destinations in 83 countries, Emirates is the world’s largest international airline. Skytrax has named the airline the “World’s Best Airline” for the past 18 years.
In addition to Emirates, Emirates Group owns and operates Flydubai, which offers flights to 95 destinations in 30 countries.
Flydubai is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, having grown by more than 50% in the last five years and operating 58 new-generation Boeing 737 aircraft on more than 1,200 flights per week.
Emirates and Flydubai announced a collaboration to improve their networks, schedules, and operations. By 2022, Emirates and Flydubai’s combined network is expected to reach 240 destinations served by a combined fleet of 380 aircraft.
The Emirates and Flydubai teams are working on initiatives spanning commercial, network planning, airport operations, customer journey alignment, and frequent flyer programmes alignment. The collaboration will be implemented over the next few months, with the first enhanced code sharing arrangements beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Emirates Skywards has officially replaced Flydubai’s frequent flyer programme, OPEN, as the airline’s and Flydubai’s loyalty programme. The loyalty program’s alignment now allows Emirates Skywards members to earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles when flying on both airlines. Former OPEN members can join Emirates Skywards to earn Miles on Flydubai.
The move will allow Emirates to expand its range of premium services for its customers and increase the value of its loyalty programmes for frequent flyers. It will also enable the airline to continue to offer a seamless experience for travellers across both carriers.
The new scheme will allow customers to earn miles and points across both airlines’ networks, giving them more opportunities to use rewards.
You can earn your Skywards Miles by:
Your route;
Your travel class;
Your fare type;
Your level of membership;
The partnership also includes code sharing on an extended global route network and several initiatives, including commercial, network planning, and airport operations.
Emirates Skywards members will earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles on all Flydubai flights. Members can also spend Skywards Miles or a combination of cash and Miles to book Flydubai flights*and pay for optional extras such as pre-ordered meals and extra legroom seats.
This partnership complements the existing Emirates relationship with Flydubai, one of the world’s largest codeshares.
Emirates Skywards members can check how many Miles they will earn for each fare type of their chosen flight using the Flydubai Miles Calculator tool on the Emirates website.
This tool is an easy way to calculate the number of Miles you will earn on your next journey with Flydubai.
Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold, and Platinum members can now enjoy exclusive benefits for Flydubai travel regardless of class of travel, such as extra baggage allowances and priority check-in at Flydubai’s Business Class counters.
When new Emirates Skywards members take their first Emirates or Flydubai flight within six months of joining, they will also receive a first flight bonus.
Emirates Skywards has introduced several new features that will enhance the earning and redemption opportunities for Emirates Skywards members.
This allows family members to easily coordinate how they want to use their Miles for rewards, enabling users to pool their Miles together—making it easier for everyone to redeem their rewards. The second feature is decreased buying, gifting and transferring Skywards Miles rates. These new low rates mean members can buy or transfer Miles at much lower prices than previously available.
Finally, Emirates Skywards has expanded its partnership portfolio by launching the Emirates Skywards DIB credit cards and Emaar Malls with strategic UAE partners such as Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB). The latter has partnered with Emirates Skywards to provide shopping discounts at The Dubai Mall.
