Ita Airways, the leading Italian carrier, and Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, announce the expansion of their codeshare agreement and launch the partnership between their loyalty programs – Volare by Ita Airways and AlFursan by Saudia . The innovations are included within the commercial strategy of Ita Airways on the Middle Eastern market: the new direct Rome – Riyadh flight departed yesterday, and in this 2024 summer season the direct flights to Kuwait City and Jeddah will be inaugurated, operating respectively from July and August.
The partnership between the two companies was sanctioned with a signature during the Annual general meeting and World air transport summit Iata in Dubai, by Andrea Benassi, general director of Ita airways, and by Amr Bakor, head of program design and airline loyalty by Saudia. The agreement will guarantee greater benefits and travel options, as well as a wider network of connections for passengers traveling between Saudi Arabia and Italy, as well as to other destinations within their respective networks.
In particular, customers flying with Saudia to Italy can reach 12 domestic destinations (Venice, Bologna, Florence, Lamezia Terme, Palermo, Catania, Turin, Naples, Bari, Reggio Calabria, Genoa and Brindisi), 15 international ones (Amsterdam , Athens, Frankfurt, Cairo, Geneva, Brussels, Madrid, Sofia, Tirana, Nice, Monaco, Barcelona, Malta and London City) and nine intercontinental (including Miami, San Francisco, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo) via Ita Airways flights from Rome Fiumicino International Airport. Ita Airways customers, however, can access 11 destinations in Saudi Arabia (Medina, Dammam, Neom Bay, AlUla, Abha, Jizan, Tabuk, Yanbu, Ha’il, Turaif and Ta’if) and 7 international ones (Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Dacca and Manama) offered by the Saudia network via Jeddah and Riyadh airports.
Ita Airways and Saudia passengers will be able to benefit from numerous privileges, including the booking of a single ticket for itineraries with connecting flights, the check-in of baggage up to the final destination as well as the accumulation and redemption of points for upgrades and other frequent flyer benefits, in addition to existing benefits available to Skyteam elite and Elite plus members. Exclusive services include priority check-in and boarding, preferential baggage drop-off counters and additional baggage allowances. Customers will also be able to benefit from a more accessible procedure for obtaining the transit visa, which can be issued through digital channels in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and can stay for up to 96 hours to access the numerous Kingdom events.
