QA, Virgin Australia unveil new strategic tie-up at Arabian Travel Market

QATAR Airways QA , voted the orld’s est Airline’ at the 2021 Skytrax industry awards, and Australia’s most loved carrier’ irgin Australia have unveiled a new strategic partnership that will significantly expand both airlines’ networks, lounges and loyalty programmes.

Commencing mid-year, the partnership will give travellers greater access, unparalleled customer experience and unique benefits when travelling between Australia and QA’s global network, with convenient transit options across QA’s Australian gateways and key irgin Australia hubs, including Melbourne, Sydney, risbane, Adelaide and Perth.

The strategic alliance will provide a critical trade and tourism boost for Australia, while opening a world of new travel opportunities for both airline’s customers.

The partnership agreement was announced at the start of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, where QA has a significant presence.

QA currently operates daily ights into Melbourne, Sydney, risbane and Perth as well as three weekly ights into Adelaide continuing into Auckland, New ealand.

Thanks to the new codeshare agreement, QA passengers will be able to travel seamlessly to 5 destinations on irgin Australia’s extensive domestic network, including key popular Australian tourist destinations, including Cairns, old Coast, Alice Springs and roome, on a single booking.

QA passengers will also have access to irgin Australia’s recently relaunched short-haul international markets, including Fiji and Queenstown, New ealand.

Similarly, irgin Australia customers and members of the airline’s award-winning

elocity Frequent Flyer loyalty programme, will be able to directly access QA’s route network of over 140 worldwide destinations, including the Middle East, Europe and Africa, via the airline’s hub and Skytrax-rated orld’s

est Airport’, Hamad International in Doha HIA .

For irgin Australia guests, access to QA’s extensive network provides onestop connectivity to a wide range of destinations and the ability to book QA ights through the irgin Australia website.

QA serves 54 cities in Europe with over 600 ights per week, offering a huge range of new choices for irgin Australia customers. ikewise, QA passengers can book

ights through into the irgin Australia network through www.qatarairways.com.

The strategic partnership will also include reciprocal loyalty benefits allowing QA Privilege Club members to earn and redeem Avios when

ying on irgin Australia, with similar benefits for elocity members when travelling on QA’s services.

Privilege Club and elocity members will also enjoy a wide range of other unique benefits, depending on status tier, such as complimentary lounge access, complimentary extra baggage allowance, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage delivery when ying respectively on irgin Australia and QA.

The agreement includes an expansive codeshare agreement and unparalleled loyalty partnership benefits offering Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways passengers unique rewards and seamless travel across both carriers’ networks

Qatar Airways Privilege Club recently enhanced its programme through its partnership with Avios, significantly expanding accrual and redemption opportunities for its members.

Qatar Airways roup Chief Executive Akbar Al

aker said e have a strong, long-standing relationship with Australia and

this agreement with irgin Australia comes at a time when it is needed the most.

This partnership will give Australian passengers access to the world that they have so acutely missed these past two years, to be able to reconnect with family and friends, and keep the wheels of trade moving.

e hope many of them will stopover in Doha to enjoy the wonderful tourism industry that Qatar has to offer. For those travelling farther afield, they will benefit from the award-winning facilities of our hub, Hamad International Airport, enabling their

onward journey. It also opens up the beautiful, cosmopolitan nation of Australia to our

passengers ying in on Qatar Airways ights, after such a long, difficult time.

irgin Australia roup Chief Executive Officer ayne Hrdlicka said Today is more great news for irgin Australia and elocity Frequent Flyer members who are hungry to travel internationally.

e are incredibly focused on creating great travel experiences and our new partnership with Qatar Airways will significantly expand

irgin Australia’s footprint into the Middle East, Europe and Africa, offering hundreds more ways our guests can seamlessly see the world.