Emirates and Air Canada expand codeshare deal to Montreal flights

The move follows the launch of Emirates' non-stop services to Quebec’s largest city in July

A codeshare partnership between Emirates and Air Canada will cover flights between 11 domestic Canadian points and Montreal. Dubai Airports

Emirates and Air Canada have expanded their codeshare partnership to include flights to and from Montreal, after the Dubai-based carrier launched non-stop services to Quebec’s largest city in July.

Emirates passengers can now travel between 11 domestic Canadian points via Montreal using the services of both airlines on a single ticket, the Dubai carrier said in a statement on Thursday.

An additional 69 points are also accessible from the gateway on an interline basis.

The expanded codeshare agreement will allow passengers to travel from Canada’s two largest cities to destinations such as Halifax, Edmonton, Ottawa and Calgary.

From Toronto, Emirates’ passengers can travel to 19 points through the codeshare deal, and an additional 100 routes through an interline arrangement.

A codeshare allows an airline to sell tickets on the partner carrier’s flights.

Interline agreements allow passengers from two airlines to buy connecting flights on one ticket. These pacts often pave the way to codeshare agreements.

For airline passengers, such partnerships mean single-ticket itineraries, easier baggage transfers, frequent flyer benefits and airport lounge access.

Passengers travelling from Canadian cities can connect to Emirates’ services in Montreal or Toronto to travel to destinations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, via the airline’s hub in Dubai.

On its flights to and from Toronto, Emirates offers daily services to Dubai, on-board its flagship A380 aircraft. The world’s largest international airline also operates seven weekly flights between Montreal and Dubai, using its Boeing 777 wide-bodies.

Travellers with itineraries on Emirates’ flights can plan their entire trip on a single ticket and benefit from the airline’s baggage allowance, in addition to bag check-through to the final destination.

Under the partnership, members of Skywards, Emirates Airline's frequent flyer programme, can earn and redeem miles on flights of both airlines, Emirates said.

The Dubai airline last month said it has 29 codeshare, 117 interline and 11 intermodal rail partners in more than 100 countries.

These partnerships provide direct and indirect links to more than 800 cities.

On an average week, more than 50,000 travellers connect to their destination on codeshare or interline flights operated by Emirates’ partners, it said.