First announced in July 2022, Air Canada and Emirates have now launched a new strategic partnership.
This partnership begins with a codeshare arrangement and interline connectivity, with a view to eventually expand reciprocal earning, redemptions, and frequent flyer benefits.
New Air Canada and Emirates Codeshare Partnership
Air Canada and Emirates’s new strategic partnership has launched as of today.
The two airlines have established 35 specific routes as codeshare services, with 11 more to come subject to final regulatory approval, and the potential to encompass even more routes in the future.
This means that select Air Canada-operated flights will also be bookable under an Emirates flight number, and vice versa, including:
- Emirates flights to Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jeddah, Muscat, Addis Ababa, and Dar Es Salaam
- Air Canada flights to Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver
In addition, customers will enjoy seamless connections along these journeys, with all flights issued on a single ticket and bags tagged through to the final destination.
Coming Soon: Reciprocal Earning, Redemptions, and Benefits
While the partnership launches with codesharing and interline connectivity, Air Canada and Emirates have also confirmed that the next phase of their relationship will encompass reciprocal earning, redemptions, and frequent flyer benefits.
Reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access are also on the table, ensuring a more seamless journey for each airline’s most loyal passengers.
Aeroplan Elite Status members – and Super Elites in particular – can expect to enjoy many of their benefits when travelling with Emirates, such as priority boarding or check-in and access to Emirates’s extensive network of outstation lounges around the world.
Likewise, Emirates Skywards elite members would be able to enjoy priority access on Air Canada flights and access Maple Leaf Lounges, and it sounds like there are further deeper reciprocal benefits to expect for elite members of various tiers in each program as well.
Most exciting, however, is the tantalizing prospect of being able to earn and redeem Aeroplan points and Skywards miles on a reciprocal basis.
When this partnership was first announced, I was skeptical that this would be the case, and it appears I’ll be proven wrong…
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