Iberia becomes a member of the joint venture initiated by British Airways and Qatar Airways, dubbed "the world’s largest airline joint business."
The collaboration's destination portfolio has been broadened to over 200 locations, incorporating numerous routes from Iberia's Madrid Barajas hub.
The move enables members of all three airlines' loyalty programs to interchange and merge their Avios points.
MADRID — The expansive collaboration previously formed between British Airways and Qatar Airways has found a new partner in Spanish airline, Iberia. This addition promises to push the venture's reach further, covering more than 200 destinations. Iberia's involvement not only expands the network but also introduces daily flights to Hamad International airport from mid-December, using the Airbus A330-200. This is a substantial enhancement, given Qatar Airways’ current twice-daily service to Madrid Barajas.
A significant advantage for loyalty members of these airlines emerges from this partnership. Iberia highlighted the ease with which members can now transfer their Avios points between accounts or merge their balances, enhancing the customer experience across these three aviation giants.
This joint venture, which began in 2016, has British Airways and Qatar Airways at its heart. They envisioned a strategy based on shared revenues, collaborative flight schedules, and joint pricing from their primary hubs. The collaboration saw an expansion in the previous September, broadening its reach to around 185 destinations across over 60 countries.
Iberia's CEO, Fernando Candela, provided insight into the venture's aspirations, "By establishing connections between Spain and an array of destinations including Asia, Australasia, the Middle-East, and Africa, we're unlocking a plethora of travel opportunities for passengers traveling both ways."
It's important to note the strategic background of this alliance. Market experts view the union of British Airways and Qatar Airways as a calculated move to offset the influence of Emirates and its Dubai International airport hub. Especially since Emirates had previously brought Qantas into its fold in 2013, a decision that impacted British Airways directly.
