Emirates and Alaska Airlines Announce Frequent-Flyer Partnership

Dubai’s Emirates, one of the world’s largest airlines, and Seattle based Alaska Airlines have decided to join hands. The two major carriers have come together to launch a new frequent flier partnership.

Dubai based Emirates and Seattle based Alaska Airlines have launched a new frequent flier partnership.

The deal between these two major players will allow passengers to collect Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan miles when they travel to any of Emirates’ numerous destinations worldwide. Similarly, the collaboration will make it possible for Emirates’ Skywards members to accrue miles across the Alaska Airlines flight network that encompasses the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“As part of our commitment to Seattle, we are launching our service by partnering with Seattle’s hometown airline to offer customers the convenience of a frequent flier partnership as well as one-stop check-in and through checked baggage,” Nigel Page, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Americas, was quoted in news reports.

He continued: “Emirates looks forward to welcoming Alaska Airlines customers with our affordably luxurious service both on the ground and in the air.”

Caroline Boren, Alaska’s Managing Director, Loyalty Marketing and Customer Advocacy, appeared buoyed with this new development.

"Alaska Airlines is delighted to welcome Emirates as our newest Mileage Plan partner,” she was quoted in news portals.

"Our customers will be able to earn and redeem miles on Emirates — a carrier admired for its service and quality and with a route network that gives our members even more access to global destinations,” she said.

In a bid to promote this new partnership, the two airlines will start offering double miles on each others’ flights. Double miles will be offered starting March 1 through May 31, 2012. It sure will be a wonderful opportunity for travellers with enough air miles to redeem their miles for rewards such as cheap flight tickets and airport lounge access.

Emirates to Serve Seattle

Industry experts believe that Emirates’ frequent flier partnership with Alaska Airlines is an effort to create a buzz around the Dubai-based airline’s March 1, 2012 launch of flights to Dubai from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It will be a daily nonstop service and a B777-300ER will be used on the route. With the commencement of operations, Seattle will become the airline’s newest gateway in the US after New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and most recently, Dallas/Fort Worth.

Apart from serving passengers who wish to book flights to Dubai from Seattle, Emirates hopes to serve travellers who want to fly via Dubai to destinations in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. Emirates is a full-service airline that is not really known for offering cheap flight tickets but maybe with increase in the number of options getting hands around cheap tickets may get relatively easier.

On the other hand, Alaska Airlines has also announced that it will be boost its flight services this summer from Portland, Ore., to Santa Barbara, Calif.; Bellingham, Wash.; and several cities in Montana.