Etihad Airways and Korean Air have signed a codeshare agreement on daily services between Abu Dhabi and Seoul.
Subject to regulatory approval, the codeshare is scheduled to begin on July 22 and will see Korean Air place its "KE" code on Etihad's daily flights between the two cities.
Etihad Guest and Korean Air's Skypass loyalty programme members will receive full reciprocity benefits including lounge access, priority check-in, excess baggage allowances for top tier members and the ability to earn and use frequent flyer points on all flights operated by both airlines.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways' president and CEO, said the commercial partnership with Korean Air represents a significant development.
He said: "The new codeshare deepens the existing partnership with Korean Air beyond the interline and special prorate agreements inked in August 2009 and creates a rich, new environment for even closer commercial collaboration.
"Codesharing on the Abu Dhabi-Seoul route will enable the airlines to leverage the strength of their respective brands and distribution channels for mutual commercial and customer benefit."
The new partnership brings to 46 the number of codeshares operated by Etihad.
It will also allow Korean Air to widen its footprint in the Middle East and Africa, using the UAE as a new gateway, while Etihad can also extend its reach to the Asia-Pacific region.
Etihad Airways began a double daily service between Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur yesterday, as Business Traveller reported last month (see online news, June 21).
Graham Smith
