Following Malaysia Airlines’ announcement that it would operate a nonstop service between Kuala Lumpur and Doha on 25 May, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines announced the next chapter of their strategic collaboration. The two companies will dramatically extend their codeshare collaboration, enabling customers to travel the globe and enjoy seamless connectivity via Kuala Lumpur and Doha, their respective major hubs.
The codeshare extension, which adds 34 destinations to the existing 62 codeshare destinations, is a significant milestone in the long-standing cooperation between the national airlines of the two countries and their oneworld partners. Global travelers will have access to a far larger combined network and enjoy a seamless travel experience on both airlines with a single ticket, including check-in, boarding, and baggage-check procedures, frequent flyer benefits, and access to world-class lounges for the duration of their voyage.
Beginning on 25 May 2022, passengers traveling Malaysia Airlines’ new Kuala Lumpur to Doha route will have access to 62 codeshare destinations within Qatar Airways’ extensive network in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. Similarly, Qatar Airways passengers traveling from Doha to Kuala Lumpur may transfer smoothly to 34 Malaysia Airlines destinations, including their complete domestic network and significant markets in Asia such as Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City, pending official permission.
By combining both route networks, the partners want to establish Kuala Lumpur as a prominent aviation hub in the Southeast Asia Region, connecting Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand with the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. In addition, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines will utilize synergies across different business sectors and create new solutions for the benefit of their global consumers.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated, “We have a strong relationship with Malaysia Airlines and welcome their new nonstop service between Kuala Lumpur and Hamad International Airport in Doha, our home base. With this strategic relationship, we are committed to offering our global consumers more options and connection. We are experiencing a fresh sense of confidence over air travel and anticipate a robust recovery in global demand. With our dynamic cooperation with Malaysia Airlines, we want to give our clients with unmatched service and a greater travel experience.”
Captain Izham Ismail, chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines Group, stated, “We are excited to deepen our cooperation with our long-standing oneworld partner Qatar Airways to bring the world closer to our customers with more options and flexibility, exceptional services and innovative products, while maintaining the highest operational safety, just as passengers begin to travel again after the reopening of borders.
As we enter the endemic phase, this strategic partnership demonstrates both airlines’ dedication to providing customers with an unrivaled selection of value-added services and displays their adaptability and resiliency in the face of pandemic threats. This agreement is timely in light of our efforts to increase aviation traffic and accelerate the return to pre-pandemic levels, while also improving our worldwide brand visibility.”
The improved partnership will also feature reciprocal loyalty advantages, enabling Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to earn and redeem Avios points while flying on Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Airlines Enrich members to do the same when flying on Qatar Airways. Depending on their tier status, Privilege Club and Enrich members will also enjoy a variety of other exclusive perks, including as complimentary lounge access, extra luggage allowance, priority check-in, priority boarding, and priority baggage delivery on Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.
Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways’ strategic partnership evolved gradually beginning in 2001, and they have significantly expanded the collaborative partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2022 to leverage each other’s network strengths and provide passengers with robust access to travel to new destinations beyond their individual networks, and ultimately to lead Asia Pacific Travel.
Qatar Airways, a multiple-award-winning airline, was named ‘Airline of the Year’ by the worldwide air transport rating organization Skytrax at the 2021 World Airline Awards. It also received the titles of “World’s Best Business Class,” “World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge,” “World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat,” “World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering,” and “Best Airline in the Middle East.” The airline remains unrivaled at the top of the industry, having received the top accolade for a record-breaking sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021).
Skytrax also awarded Qatar Airways the renowned 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating as the first airline in the world. This comes after Hamad International Airport became the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to get a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating from Skytrax. Passengers from all around the globe may rest certain that the airline’s health and safety precautions are subject to the strictest standards of expert, independent evaluation.
Qatar Airways operates to more than 140 locations globally, linking through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, which Skytrax has rated the “World’s Best Airport” for 2021.