Etihad Airways has become the latest airline to partner with easyJet via its worldwide connection platform. The agreement means customers can purchase tickets through the easyJet worldwide website, and will therefore help to connect the two airlines’ networks.
The partnership is on the back of easyJet’s roll out programme for flight comparison search engine, Dohop. The search engine powers the easyJet worldwide website thereby connecting its European network with longhaul flights. For Etihad, the partnership has been made possible as a result of its NDC (New Distribution Capability) platform providing technical capability. The partnership with easyJet and Dohop is its first use of this technology and Etihad plans to add more airlines and travel partners to this NDC portfolio in 2020.
“This new collaboration between two great brands is a logical leap forward for both our companies,” says Ali Saleh, Etihad Airways Vice President Alliances and Partnerships. “easyJet is a perfect launch partner for us in Europe, allowing us to reliably increase the breadth of our continental reach to and from Abu Dhabi, as we enhance ways of connecting directly with more airlines and travel partners around the world.
“The ability to provide end-to-end booking capabilities through our NDC platform will provide customers with ‘one stop’ solutions for seamless travel with partners, whether legacy or low-cost, through Etihad’s global gateways.”
Rachel Smith, easyJet’s Head of Commercial Partnerships added: “We’re excited to announce our partnership with Etihad Airways, which opens up Abu Dhabi as a destination to our passengers and more of Europe to Etihad. Through smart self-connections and strategic partnerships, we continue to extend the reach of the worldwide by easyJet network offering more value and more routes to more customers.”
Customers can purchase tickets on the easyJet website from 68 cities on the airline’s network in Europe to Abu Dhabi, connecting on to Etihad Airways flights from 10 European gateways in Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Geneva, Madrid, Manchester, Milan Malpensa, and Zurich.