Qantas and Emirates will put their joint trans-Tasman network on sale next month as New Zealand formally becomes part of the airlines’ alliance.
Bookings will open on August 14 with aligned fares, frequent flyer benefits and codeshares all kicking off.
Qantas said the launch of joint Tasman operations, that will offer around 130 weekly services from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown, realises an ambition to include NZ in its partnership with Emirates.
NZ authorities made the carriers wait several weeks after the official launch of the alliance before they cleared the way for Tasman operations to be part of the joint network.
“New Zealand was part of the Qantas-Emirates vision from the start and since receiving government approval in May our teams have been working hard towards switching the partnership on,” Qantas executive manager international sales, Stephen Thompson, said.
“From mid-August New Zealanders will be able to take full advantage of the network, lounges and frequent flyer opportunities available with Qantas and Emirates, tapping into a comprehensive trans-Tasman schedule and a vast range of international destinations.”
The inclusion of NZ in the alliance would also give inbound tourism a lift, he added, with both airlines selling its destinations around the world.
“Wellington and Queenstown [pictured] are likely to benefit considerably, as these are Qantas destinations that Emirates will now offer to their global customer base for the first time,” Thompson said.
Barry Brown, Emirates divisional senior vice president commercial operations east, described the Tasman as a “key piece of the Emirates-Qantas jigsaw”.
“From NZ we will now be able to offer travel out of Wellington and Queenstown, in addition to Auckland and Christchurch,” he said.
It will take weekly departures from New Zealand from 28 to more than 140, jointly reaching 55 points in Australia and onwards to Dubai, Brown added.
The airlines stressed that existing capacity on some routes will be guaranteed as part of the regulatory conditions.
