Qatar Airways has announced that the first stage of the strategic partnership with American Airlines has begun with the national carrier placing its code on American Airlines’ domestic flights, strengthening connectivity and creating hundreds of new travel options for passengers.
The codeshare will be rolled out in phases over the next few weeks and once completed, will see Qatar Airways’ code placed on more than 1,000 of American Airlines’ domestic flights connecting with Qatar Airway’s 10 US gateways. Flights are already available for sale, with the first codeshare flights having started recently on May 17.
The first phases of the codeshare will see Qatar Airways’ passengers able to book travel on American Airlines’ extensive domestic connections via Chicago (ORD) and Dallas (DFW) to 200 cities including Miami (MIA), Houston (IAH), Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis/St.Paul (MSP), Seattle (SEA), and San Francisco (SFO).
Additional cities, including destinations in Central America, and the Caribbean will be added, subject to government approvals.
Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Simon Talling-Smith said, “This codeshare is just the first step in renewing our long-term strategic partnership with American Airlines. The rollout of this domestic codeshare demonstrates our airlines are confident about the future and during this difficult time we continue to focus on how we can enhance the customer experience for our millions of passengers.
“As two of the strongest airlines in the world, I have no doubt that we will overcome the current challenge and be well positioned to continue providing our passengers the reliable, safe and award-winning service that they have come to trust from us.”
American Airlines senior vice president (Network Strategy) Vasu Raja said, “We are pleased that we’ve reached this important milestone with Qatar Airways. We look forward to welcoming Qatar Airways passengers throughout our domestic network as we continue to focus on the wellbeing of our customers, team members and the communities we serve during this uncertain time. This is just the beginning of a strong partnership and we have a very bright future ahead of us.”
Further expansion of the strategic partnership will include Qatar Airways placing its code on American’s international flights to North, Central and South America and Europe, and American Airlines placing its code on Qatar Airways flights between the US and Qatar and beyond to a range of destinations in the Middle-East, Africa and Asia.
Both airlines will also continue exploring the opportunity for American Airlines to operate flights between the US and Qatar, along with a number of joint commercial and operational initiatives to further strengthen this renewed partnership.
Qatar Airways continues to operate approximately 150 scheduled flights a week to more than 30 destinations. The airline recently announced plans to gradually rebuild its network in line with passenger demand evolution and the expected relaxation of entry restrictions around the world.
By the end of June, the airline plans to expand its network to 80 destinations, subject to regulatory approvals. Qatar’s national carrier has built a strong level of trust with passengers, governments, trade and airports as a reliable partner during this crisis.
With its plans for expanding its network and strengthening airline partnerships, the airline is well positioned to continue delivering on its mission to the airline travellers can trust.
By maintaining 24x7 operations in recent months, including the provision of over 200 charter flights globally, Qatar Airways’ efforts to repatriate over 1mn people has received widespread praise and thanks from passengers and governments worldwide, as the foremost airline taking people home.
The airline’s cargo division continues to operate a significant schedule with almost 175 flights a day. The cargo operator has worked closely with governments and NGOs to transport over 175,000 tonnes of medical and aid supplies to impacted regions around the world on both scheduled and charter services, the equivalent of roughly 1,750 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters.
Related Story