Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways have announced a partnership that will link their respective frequent flyer programs, Flying Blue and Etihad Guest.
From November 27, 2023, members of these two loyalty programs will be able to earn and redeem miles with either Air France, KLM, or Etihad.
Some additional benefits for elite members of both programs are also expected to be announced soon.
The agreement comes as no surprise, since the two airline groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September 2023 to strengthen their cooperation in operational areas, such as code-sharing on 60 international routes.
Moreover, during an informal chat with journalists at the Dubai Air Show 2023, Etihad’s CEO, Antonoaldo Neves, ruled out the Abu Dhabi airline joining any of the three major alliances in the short term. However, Neves praised the benefits of ad-hoc agreements such as Etihad’s partnership with Air France and hinted that cooperation may involve areas such as loyalty programs.