Confirmed : Etihad Airways Gone as a VA Partner by Late 2025 (Regardless of Qatar tie-up)

[Bagpuss]

https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/public-registers/documents/Virgin%20Australia%20and%20Qatar%20Airways%20-%20Response%20to%20interested%20party%20submissions%20-%2013.11.24%20-%20PR%20VERSION%20-%20AA1000679%20Virgin%20Qatar.pdf?ref=0&download=y

"Etihad Airways will cease to be a Velocity partner and, with or without the Proposed Conduct, Virgin Australia does not codeshare on Etihad Airways’
services. Further clarifications on the changes that will be made are provided below."

"Virgin Australia will in late 2025, terminate its limited remaining partnership with Etihad Airways"

 

[SYD]

Going with it will arguably be the best status recognition perk of a VA partner and 1st Lounge access in AUH for VA WPs.

QR will not replicate that. Off to the DOH Platinum lounge unless stumping up for F/J (but beware the “Lite” Biz fares or it’s back to the Plat / Gold lounge).

Hopefully EY will swing back to QF….

 

[Bagpuss]

Going with it will arguably be the best status recognition perk of a VA partner and 1st Lounge access in AUH for VA WPs.

QR will not replicate that. Off to the DOH Platinum lounge unless stumping up for F/J (but beware the “Lite” Biz fares or it’s back to the Plat / Gold lounge).

Hopefully EY will swing back to QF….

Qantas is exclusive with Emirates. Probably of Qantas ditching Emirates for Etihad or interlining with Etihad would be about 0.0000000000000000000000000%

 

[HS-TQE]

If the EY/EK alliance does ever come to fruitiion, let alone a EK acquisition of EY, there may be a very slim chance of EY (under the umbrella of EK) partnering with QF. But until then, EY are limited to interlines with the Australian carriers when their unilateral partnership with VA ends in late 2025.

 

[SYD]

Qantas is exclusive with Emirates. Probably of Qantas ditching Emirates for Etihad or interlining with Etihad would be about 0.0000000000000000000000000%

Yeah, I wasn’t suggesting that and the EK/EY merger is off the table now but they are “working together”.

EY will still need a local feeder. Currently VA and JQ.

 

[Bagpuss]

Yeah, I wasn’t suggesting that and the EK/EY merger is off the table now but they are “working together”.

EY will still need a local feeder. Currently VA and JQ.

Probably interline with JQ.

 

[HS-TQE]

Yeah, I wasn’t suggesting that and the EK/EY merger is off the table now but they are “working together”.

EY will still need a local feeder. Currently VA and JQ.

Apparently per reports elsewhere such as a.net, most of the EY services out of SYD and MEL were largely local originating O&D out of both cities. That suggests feed from elsewhere for EY would be minimal at best.

EY's interline with VA and JQ will suffice for them for the handful coming down from BNE/Rest of Queensland or ADL.

 

[odysseus]

Interesting how the submission admits they made a mistake in their previous submission, regarding changes to Singapore Air, and Virgin Atlantic and SAA.

Yet just calls it a "misunderstanding by respondents to their submission." Yeah, right.

 

[Bagpuss]

Interesting how the submission admits they made a mistake in their previous submission, regarding changes to Singapore Air, and Virgin Atlantic and SAA.

Yet just calls it a "misunderstanding by respondents to their submission." Yeah, right.

SIA I understand in part as Singapore isn't Middle East and a confusing relationship.

VA and SAA, yup that was 100% a mistake IMHO.

 

[VPS]

The title suggests that Etihad will disappear completely

 

[Saab34]

The title suggests that Etihad will disappear completely

I think the traffic is strong enough around the Etihad network to make this still work without Virgin, Melbourne and Sydney are large catchments and the other end, well the opportunities from the remainder of the EY network inbound here is quite significant. Bit like the Delta arrangement.

Turkish are going to face the same issue with no codeshare partner.

It’s the AUH, IST hubs that will ensure the survival. It will obviously make those smaller cities like PER/ADL/BNE a bit harder, and Turkish has already highlighted that it’s going to be SYD and MEL only for the moment. Etihad are really just small player here now, compared to a decade ago.

 

[HS-TQE]

Considering the reports on other forums of EY's largely O&D loads out of SYD/MEL, assuming that's correct, the unilateral VA domestic codeshare probably was bringing limited revenue to EY at best and made very little if any impact to EY's bottom line.

Based on the above scenario, it's probably cheaper to terminate the EY/VA unilateral codeshare and free up more seats for SYD/MEL O&D.

 

[Bagpuss]

End date 1st June 2025.

Etihad Airways & Virgin Australia to end codesharing in 2025

Etihad Airways has announced it will end its codeshare and frequent flyer partnership with Virgin Australia, effective 1 June 2025.

karryon.com.au

 

[deepblerg]

It really is the end of an era

For me, I won't be transferring AMEX points to VFF anymore. It's much more versatile to pick and choose where to transfer points, either straight into Etihad / Singapore or others based on where I want to fly.

It's still a shame though because reward seat rates were actually better with VFF than AMEX.

 

[levelnine]

Let's hope this put some pressure on Etihad to release more award seats on its flights between Australia & Europe. That would be a boon for those of us able to access Etihad miles.