Jet Airways, Malaysia Airlines enhance travel connectivity, privileges

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline and Malaysia Airlines have signed a code share and network-wide reciprocal Frequent Flyer partnership to provide its customers with enhanced travel connectivity and privileges.

Customers will enjoy a wider choice of flights, convenient onward connections in India and Malaysia with seamless transfers and through check-in, and the perks of frequent flyer membership.

Jet Airways will place its “9W” flight code on Malaysia Airlines’ flights operating between Kuala Lumpur and 5 major Indian cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Hyderabad.

In return, Malaysia Airlines will place its “MH” code on Jet Airways’ daily services between Chennai and Kuala Lumpur.

Tickets will be available for purchase from 25 February 2009 for travel commencing 3 March 2009.

In addition, customers will be able to earn and redeem miles when they travel with the respective airlines. This will benefit some 3 million customers comprising Jet Airways’ 1.5 million JetPrivilege members and Malaysia Airlines’ 1.5 million Enrich members.

Jet Airways Chairman, Mr. Naresh Goyal said “In addition to providing air travellers with a greater choice of flights between India and Kuala Lumpur, this new code-share agreement will offer customers of both our airlines with greater access to each other’s expanding global networks. They will enjoy a seamless travel experience, as well as the very high service standards that have earned both airlines global acclaim.”

Malaysia Airlines Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Idris Jala said, “I am delighted to partner with Jet Airways as Malaysia Airlines work towards expanding and strengthening our hub-and-spoke network. This will allow us to capture untapped traffic from secondary points in India through the 5 Indian gateways onto MH’s network. Based on modest estimates, we expect to capture approximately 10% of the untapped potential traffic to Kuala Lumpur and beyond. This is valued at RM10 to 12 million per annum.”

Jet Airways and Malaysia Airlines currently have interline agreements for domestic points across India and Malaysia.

The Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, His Excellency Mr Ashok K.Kantha and Malaysia Airlines Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid were also present at the signing ceremony.

About Jet Airways 
Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 87 aircraft, which includes 10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, 12 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, 52 classic and next generation Boeing 737-400/700/800/900 aircraft and 14 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With an average fleet age of 4.48 years, the airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleet in the world.

Flights to 63 destinations span the length and breadth of India and beyond, including New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The airline will continue to connect existing international destinations with additional gateway points across its network in the future.

Jet Airways currently operates over 370 flights daily.

About JetLite 
JetLite is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India Ltd. and was acquired by Jet Airways in April 2007. Positioned as an all-economy airline, JetLite promises to offer value for money fares. JetLite currently operates a fleet of 24 aircraft, which includes 17 Boeing 737 series and 7 Canadian Regional Jets 200 Series. The airline flies to 26 domestic destinations and 2 international destinations (Kathmandu and Colombo), currently operating a 110 flights a day, on average.

Jet Airways, with the acquisition of JetLite, today has a combined fleet strength of 111 aircraft and operates over 480 flights daily.

About Malaysia Airlines 
Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, connects more than 14 million passengers per annum to over 80 destinations worldwide. It holds a lengthy record of service and best practices excellence, having received more than 100 awards in the last 12 years. Among the notable ones include being the first airline to win the "World's Best Cabin Crew" by Skytrax, UK consecutively from 2001 till 2004, and again in 2007. It is also one of only 6 airlines worldwide to be accredited a “5-Star Airline” by Skytrax, an accomplishment it has achieved for 3 consecutive years, 2006-2008.

Malaysia Airlines commenced its operations to India in 1974. It began by initially operating one flight per week from Kuala Lumpur to Chennai. Over 34 years, it added new destinations and added flight frequencies. Today, Malaysia Airlines operates 32 weekly flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Hyderabad.