Jet Airways, the second biggest airline in India, has announced that they have entered into a reciprocal frequent flyer partnership with bmi (British Midland International). The UK airline is the second biggest operating at London’s Heathrow Airport, which is one of the busiest and best-connected international hubs in the world.
Under the deal, members of the JetPrivilege loyalty scheme will be able to earn and redeem JPMiles for any bmi flights. In turn, Diamond Club members for bmi’s loyalty program will be able to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles for Jet Airways and Jet Airways Konnect, the budget carrier, flights.
The Indian airline currently has frequent flyer partnership deals with 22 leading international carriers. This includes Virgin Atlantic, KLM, American Airlines, Air France, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Swiss Air, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Dragon Air, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, Cathay Pacific, JetLite, Guld Air, All-Nippon Airways, Brussels Airlines, and Austrian Airways.
Jet Airways chief commercial officer Mr. Sudheer Raghavan says that they offer unmatched pan-India connectivity to their customers, as well as have a growing international network with 23 destinations. The network offered by bmi spans the UK, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and Africa from Heathrow Airport, he continued. This partnership is beneficial for both airlines, he added, as it will enable travelers to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles for both networks.
Due to the recession, which has caused financial struggles among travel companies and travelers, many businesses are trying to find ways to attract more customers, whether it be through loyalty programs, consolidated services or mergers. This is simply the latest in this wave.