Tourism Breaking News
Turkish Airlines and GOL Linhas Aéreas announced a Codeshare and Frequent Flyer Partnership Agreement. Through the codeshare partnership, passengers will be able to purchase tickets to destinations in Brazil from flights departing from Istanbul and many other airports in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Far East. Linking of two carriers’ frequent flyer programs (FFP), will enable members of the Miles&Smiles and Smiles loyalty schemes to earn and redeem miles when flying on either carrier. Brazil has become one of the most emerging destinations especially for the travelers from the Middle East and this partnership will see more traffic between the destinations.
The codeshare agreement provides that Turkish Airlines passengers from Middle East. Africa, Asia and Far East can acquire connections with the entire network operated by GOL in the Brazilian territory and to Asuncion, Santiago, Montevideo, Lima destinations in the region. Currently, Turkish Airlines operates 7 daily flights to GRU Airport, São Paulo’s international airport in Guarulhos (GRU). With the codeshare agreement, passengers of Turkish Airlines will be able to purchase directly through the airline’s sales channels, tickets for flights operated by GOL in Brazil.
Besides this codeshare, Turkish Airlines and GOL have reached consensus on launching FFP cooperation as well. TK’s Miles&Smiles and GOL’s SMILES members will gain access to accrual and redemption benefits on both airlines. FFP partnership will initially start with redemption soon, and accrual benefits will be provided afterward.
Commenting on the agreement Bilal Ekşi, Turkish Airlines CEO said; “As Turkish Airlines, we are pleased to launch codeshare and FFP cooperation with GOL in Sao Paulo that will allow passengers unique travel alternatives via İstanbul to Brazilian domestic routes. They will enjoy FFP benefits with the new flight options along with a more convenient travel experience. By this opportunity, we also hope to make contribution to the commercial relations between our respective countries.”
“As two of the main airlines in Brazil and Turkey, GOL and Turkish Airlines offer the best experience to their passengers. Enabling Turkish Airlines passengers to reach the largest number of flights and destinations in Brazil with this agreement is a pleasure for us.” says Paulo Kakinoff, President from GOL. “This will be another opportunity for the world to get to know the beauties of Brazil through the various Turkish Airlines’ connections to the GOL flights across the country.” added the CEO.
After being approved by the Brazilian authorities, the codeshare agreement between the airlines will allow passengers to enjoy GOL’s 60 domestic destinations from São Paulo (GRU). In the future, the companies will work to expand the agreement to other international destinations operated by GOL. For Brazilians, the Company will offer connections with Turkish Airlines in Istanbul and many other airports around the world.
Soon, the segments will also be able to be computed for accumulation and discharge in Smiles, GOL’s loyalty program. Once the system integration is completed, the FFP agreement will bring accrual and redemption advantages to Miles&Smiles and Smiles members.
