As I’ve written about several times over the past few months, airberlin is in financial trouble, and Etihad has a big stake in them. The airline has fundamentally had an identity crisis, and hasn’t been able to decide whether they’re a leisure carrier or business carrier, and has been bleeding money with no end in…
Continue reading: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em: Etihad & Lufthansa Announce Codeshare Agreement
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What does it mean in terms of mileage earnings ? Can a miles&more member earn LH miles on etihad flights with LH numbers ?
@ Boris -- The exact details haven't been announced yet, but I suspect there will be some form of reciprocal mileage earning (though I wouldn't count on reciprocal redemptions).
Lovely if they can arrange a mileage earning agreement by September 2017 so I can put them on my M&M account if AZ does not cancel my itinerary to SYD.
Why wouldn't Etihad route its passengers to Rio (and other South American destinations) on Alitalia?
Well, this is kind of a special case and clearly part of the Airberlin deal.There is no not much in for Lufthansa in codeshares on the Etihad flights du AUH (no significant traffic to AUH from Germany, most passengers are connecting there), so the exchange was LH getting those Airberlin routes and EY getting those codeshares on LH. Connecting in FRA from EY to LH is gonna suck anyways, doubt many people will do that...
@Paul, when was the last time you've been on AZ? Way ahead of any US carrier for both comfort and catering, definitely better than Lufthansa catering, easier airports to connect, shorter overall flight time, reciprocal FF benefits...
@Boris: As Lucky said, it has not been announced yet. But in line with LH policy you definitely don't earn any status miles, if anything only base miles. But LH has a record of operating many codeshares not earning miles at all ... Beware also in respect of lounge access, unless there's a dramatic policy change, there will be no Star Gold lounge access for flights operated by EY ...
Well, I think the hypocrisy is ironic but not surprising. While someone is blocking your way, it is natural to try to get rid of him or her. However, when you find out that you can't, you attempt to get most out of the current situation. Now that large traditional European and American airlines cannot hold the Gulf carriers back from diverting passengers away, they are partnering with them at least to get paid by feeding passengers to them. It will be silly if traditional airlines lose long-haul passengers while still refraining themselves from providing connecting passengers to them.