Airberlin To Start Codeshare Flights With Virgin Australia
Airberlin and Virgin Australia will commence a range of codeshare services in Australia and Europe, in addition to offering reciprocal frequent flyer benefits for members of the respective topbonus and Velocity programs. The codeshare will be effective 1 August 2013 and is subject to government approvals.
The German airline will place its ‘AB’ code on flights beyond Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to six Australian destinations served by Virgin Australia, providing airberlin guests an opportunity to experience some of Australia’s huge diversity. The cities are: Adelaide, Ayers Rock, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast and Perth.
The codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia complements the existing codeshare offer with Etihad Airways on flights from Germany via Abu Dhabi to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and at the same time increases the number of Australian destinations accessible by an airberlin codeshare flight from Germany to a total of nine.
An additional component of the new codeshare agreement will see airberlin putting its “AB” code on Virgin Australia’s non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi to Sydney and from Phuket to Perth.
airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21 percent share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld airline alliance.