In some good news for Qantas Frequent Flyer members, Oneworld has officially announced that Royal Air Maroc will join the alliance on Wednesday 1 April, 2020. The airline’s regional subsidiary, Royal Air Maroc Express, will also join Oneworld on this date as an affiliate member.
The Moroccan airline, based in Casablanca (airport code: CMN), announced that it will join the Oneworld alliance in December 2018. It has now almost completed the 15-month integration process, which has included updating its systems and introducing a new Platinum tier of its Safar Flyer frequent flyer program, in line with Oneworld standards.
As Royal Air Maroc prepares to enter Oneworld, American Airlines has announced it will launch direct Boeing 757 flights from Philadelphia to Casablanca from 4 June 2020.
Royal Air Maroc will be the only Oneworld airline based in Africa, other than British Airways’ South African subsidiary Comair which operates limited short-haul services out of Johannesburg. It will become the 14th Oneworld member airline, although the exit of LATAM Airlines on 1 October 2020 will reduce the number of Oneworld member airlines back to 13.
About Royal Air Maroc
Royal Air Maroc has a fleet of around 60 aircraft. Using Boeing 737s and Embraer E190s, it operates a range of short-haul routes within Morocco, as well as to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and West Africa. The airline also has a fleet of Boeing 767s and Boeing 787s which it uses for long-haul flights to the United States, Canada and Brazil. The airline has also just launched a new flight to Beijing Daxing Airport.
Royal Air Maroc’s schedules are designed to maximise connectivity between Europe and destinations in West Africa.
“We are proud and excited to become the wings of oneworld in Africa and we are looking forward to a very successful cooperation that benefits our mutual clients. While the average duration of the integration process varies between 18 and 20 months, it would take us just 15 months, between the invitation and the official integration, to become a full member of the prestigious oneworld Alliance,” said Royal Air Maroc CEO Abdelhamid Addou.
As it prepares to join Oneworld, Royal Air Maroc has just opened an upgraded lounge in Casablanca, aptly named “The Casablanca Lounge”. This lounge is currently accessible to Royal Air Maroc Business class passengers and Safar Flyer Silver and Gold members.
From 1 April 2020, Safar Flyer Silver members will no longer receive lounge access when departing from Casablanca on an international flight. But Safar Flyer’s new Platinum members, as well as Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers, will enjoy lounge access (where available) when flying with Royal Air Maroc.
Royal Air Maroc offers Economy and Business class on its flights. It does not have Premium Economy or First cabins.
What does this mean for Qantas Frequent Flyer members?
From 1 April 2020, Qantas Frequent Flyer members will be able to earn Qantas points and status credits when flying with Royal Air Maroc. Unless Qantas decides to make changes to its current airline partner earning charts, you can expect to earn Qantas points and status credits on all Royal Air Maroc routes except Casablanca-Doha at the following rates:
Qantas has not yet revealed which Royal Air Maroc booking classes will be eligible to earn frequent flyer points and status credits. This is something to watch out for when booking flights with partner airlines.
From 1 April 2020, you’ll also be able to redeem Qantas points for travel on Royal Air Maroc flights. This includes the ability to use Royal Air Maroc as part of a Oneworld Classic Flight Reward booking. (In the meantime, you can already use Etihad Guest miles to book Royal Air Maroc flights.)
You’ll also be able to include Royal Air Maroc with Oneworld Explorer round-the-world bookings from this date.
Qantas Frequent Flyer members with Silver or higher status will enjoy reciprocal Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald benefits when flying with Royal Air Maroc. This includes benefits like lounge access and priority boarding for Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members. The same will apply to Safar Flyer members when flying on any Oneworld airline.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Royal Air Maroc to join OneWorld? [CONFIRMED]
