Yet another fake news is spreading on the web: the news of a new agreement between ITA and Saudia, the national airlines of Italy and Saudi Arabia. The agreement However, it does not foresee any new flightsthere is no new route: it is about a codeshare agreement which concerns one partnership between the loyalty programs of the two companies. Unfortunately, however, evidently few Calabrian journalists know what it means “codeshare” And “loyalty programs“, and so an agreement that does not provide for any new flights at a national or international levelbecomes a big hoax headline about “new routes to Reggio and Lamezia from Saudi Arabia“. Yes, and then also the unicorns!!
The direct flight Rome–Riyadh (five hours duration, five weekly routes) started on June 2nd ed it was announced months agoalong with the only two new national routes with Kuwait City And Jeddahalways from Rome, which will start from July and August. No news, therefore, for the routes and flights with Saudi Arabia, compared to what had already been known for some time and which in any case they concern only Rome.
The only news announced yesterday by ITA and Saudia is the agreement with Volarewhich allows the respective members of the loyalty programs to accumulate points regardless of the carrier used. Essentially, those who fly on ITA can accumulate points in the same loyalty program and vice versa for those who use Saudia.
The agreement with Saudia It therefore opens up the possibility of earning qualifying and non-qualifying flying points for flights carried out on the national airline of Saudi Arabia. As with all other partnerships, the accumulation in this case is based on the flown and not on the expense incurred, according to the following table
It is also possible to request the retrocredit for flights carried out starting from 8 March 2024 through the appropriate section
- at least 14 days must have passed from the date of the flight.
- Points can be requested within 12 months of the flight date.
Where does the fake news on (some) Calabrian newspapers come from?
The big misunderstanding with i super expert Calabrian journalists arises from the description of the press release in which ITA explains the advantages of the ITA/Saudia codeshare: “In particular – it is read – customers flying with Saudia to Italy they can reach 12 domestic destinations (Venice, Bologna, Florence, Lamezia Terme, Palermo, Catania, Turin, Naples, Bari, Reggio Calabria, Genoa and Brindisi), 15 international (Amsterdam, Athens, Frankfurt, Cairo, Geneva, Brussels, Madrid, Sofia, Tirana, Nice, Monaco, Barcelona, Malta and London City) and 9 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“.
Nothing is clearer: who arrives in Italy with Saudia and then from Rome Fiumicino it flies to 12 national destinations (including Reggio Calabria and Lamezia) via existing and always scheduled ITA flightsyou can accumulate the points for that flight on your Saudia flight card and take advantage of the benefits of the agreement.
“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“.
All the benefits of the agreement for passengers
ITA Airways and Saudia passengers will be able to benefit from numerous privilegesincluding the booking a single ticket for itineraries with connecting flightsThe check-in of luggage to the final destination as well as the accumulation and redemption of points to carry out upgrades and other benefits frequent flyerin addition to existing benefits available to SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members. Exclusive amenities include Priority check-in and boardingpreferential baggage drop-off counters and additional baggage allowances.
Customers will also benefit from a more accessible procedure for obtaining the transit visawhich can be released through digital channels in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and stop for up to 96 hours to access the Kingdom’s many events.
Amr Bakor, Head of Program Design and Airline Loyalty at Saudia, he has declared: “This partnership is aimed at improving our customers’ travel experience by offering greater connectivity and a wider range of destinations. AlFursan members will also enjoy mutual benefits, which will allow them to accumulate and redeem miles on direct or one-stop connections of both airlines.” He then added: “We are excited about this partnership and confident that it will bring significant value to our customers, we look forward to serving them better together with ITA Airways.”
Andrea Benassi, General Director of ITA Airwayshe has declared: “We are pleased to expand the codeshare agreement with Saudia. This partnership strengthens ITA Airways’ growth commercial strategy and increases connectivity for our passengers. With this agreement, ITA Airways can count on 37 codeshare agreements, achieved in less than three years from the start of our operations. This collaboration also highlights the importance of Saudi Arabia as a strategic market for ITA Airways, particularly for business travel, as highlighted by the recent launch of our direct Rome-Riyadh flight and the upcoming opening of the Rome-Jeddah connection , starting in August.”
