UAE: Etihad Airways,SWISS Sign New Codeshare Agreement

Etihad A UAE carrier has confirmed that it has signed a new codeshare agreement with national carrier Swiss Air. The codeshare agreement will take place effective immediately with bookings already open.

The agreement will see Etihad Airways’ flight number EY, placed on Swiss Air flights between Geneva and Zurich, while Etihad’s flights between Zurich and Abu Dhabi will host the Swiss flight number LX.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways CEO said: This codeshare deepens Etihad Airways’ commitment to the Swiss travel market and Switzerland, a key destination for travelers from our UAE home, neighboring Gulf countries, and across our Asia Pacific network.

For travelers from Switzerland, our new relationship with SWISS will provide access to Etihad’s award-winning service and the hospitality for which our Abu Dhabi home is known.

This agreement continues to show Etihad’s commitment to the codeshare agreement it has with the Lufthansa Group of which Swiss Air and Etihad Aviation Group is a part of.

The daily service from Abu Dhabi to Zurich is operated by Etihad’s technologically advanced Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and will keep its 2 class layout which seats 299 passengers, consisting of 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy seats.

This is the second time Etihad has made a codeshare investment in the Swiss market after last year when it had decided to sell its 33.3 percent stake in Swiss carrier Darwin Airline.

The change comes after the airline former CEO, James Hogan, left the company which was attributed to a controlled restructuring.

Etihad is not the only Middle Eastern carrier to invest in codeshare agreements with European airlines with both Emirates and Qatar dipping into the European pool also.

Qatar Airways and Iberia extended their code-sharing agreements between Madrid and Doha.

Emirates currently have agreements with Flybe, TAP Portugal and Air Malta, which shows how extensively into Europe they want to go even if the routes they themselves operate already.

Earlier this week, Qatar Airways and Iberia extended their code-sharing agreements between Madrid and Doha.

Currently, Emirates has agreements with Flybe, TAP Portugal and Air Malta, which shows how extensively into Europe they want to go even if the routes they themselves operate already.

For Etihad, this is an important agreement, especially as the carrier has been struggling in recent months, trying to regain profitability following the demises of Alitalia and Air Berlin, two carriers that they were massively involved in.

For Swiss, under the Lufthansa Group, to sign this agreement shows that the group overall still has confidence in Etihad to provide the routes to Abu Dhabi and beyond from Europe.


Tourism Observer

SWITZERLAND: Flying Aboard Swiss 777-300ER’s First Intercontinental Flight

Finally, the day I have been waiting for since reception of Swiss’ six Boeing 777-300ER order has arrived. I couldn’t be more excited about being on this flight, not only because of this great aircraft itself and the superb novel cabin product that Swiss unveiled for its new flagship, but also because Swiss has been in my heart after being part of the family for three years, witnessing its rebirth after Swissair’s demise, and flying the very first Swiss service to Miami on March 31st, 2002.

In order to be sure that I could be in Zurich on time, preventing any potential delays due to winter weather, I arrived the day before to meet my friends Kelly Daoud and Nicolas Chetelat, who would also join me for this big event.

Early in the morning of February 21st I got ready to meet at the hotel lobby with my travel companion. A short walk from the hotel took us to the First Class Check-in Lounge located in Terminal A, Zurich International Airport.

When arrived, the excitement for this first flight was obvious. The Check-in service was quick, and the staff advised us that we were the only two First Class passengers out of eight that were not Swiss staff!

After a swift security screening we headed to the Swiss First Class Lounge in Terminal A, and we asked to be transferred to the new Lounge located in Terminal E, which had opened just two weeks ago. A shuttle limousine drove us there and we took the elevator to the lounge.

I was impressed by the amplitude and elegance of the welcome area, which provides a great view to the airport, behind an impressive glass structure. There are three counters to receive First Class passengers. The Senator and Business Class Lounges are also located on the same floor, but in opposite direction.

After showing our boarding passes, we were escorted into the Lounge. My friends, Nicolas and Martin Lebetsamer, arrived shortly after.

GERMANY: Lufthansa Strike Extended, To Hit 1,000 Flights On Wednesday

Lufthansa Air has announced it will cancel 1,000 short- and medium-term flights in and out of Germany Wednesday on the second day of a two-day walkout by its pilots.

The carrier said Tuesday it had filed a court injunction in a bid to prevent the industrial action – the 13th walkout in 18 months – as the company struggles to end a long-running dispute over early retirement provisions.

“One thousand Lufthansa flights are cancelled, 140,000 passengers will be affected,” Lufthansa said in a statement after the pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), announced that it was extending a strike that began early Tuesday into a second day on Wednesday.

Out of a total 1,520 Lufthansa flights that should have flown on Wednesday, only just over 500 would go ahead, the carrier said.

Only Lufthansa services would be hit, while flights by the group’s other airlines, Germanwings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines would operate normally.

The carrier said it apologised to passengers for any inconvenience caused and added they would be able to rebook their flights free of charge.