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Etihad and China Eastern Airlines Launch Partnership
Etihad Airways and China Eastern Airlines have officially launched their new joint venture, which was marked by a ceremony at the Arabian Travel Market last week.
New Shanghai to Abu Dhabi Route
China Eastern has begun operating four weekly flights between Shanghai and Abu Dhabi (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). The service will increase to daily from 12th September:
| Flight No. | Departure | Departure Time | Destination | Arrival Time | Frequency | Aircraft Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MU237 / EY5748 | Shanghai | 15:25 | Abu Dhabi | 21:20 | Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat | A330 |
| MU238 / EY5749 | Abu Dhabi | 23:20 | Shanghai | 12:40+1 | Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat | A330 |
Earn and Redeem Etihad Guest and Eastern Miles Across Both Networks
From 1st June, Etihad Guest and Eastern Miles members can earn and redeem miles across both airlines’ global networks. This opens up hundreds of additional routes, including plenty from China, such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
This marks the first partnership of its kind between a Chinese and Middle Eastern carrier. Etihad and China Eastern will also collaborate on codeshare flights, joint marketing, and customer experience enhancements.
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, added:
“The official launch of our Joint Venture with China Eastern is a major leap forward—not just for our two airlines, but for the future of both the UAE and China. By combining our networks and aligning our loyalty programmes, we’re not only expanding choice and connectivity for our guests, but also setting the foundation for a new era of cooperation, innovation, and shared success across our markets.”
When flying with Etihad, this is an excellent opportunity to earn miles with a SkyTeam airline. It’s also a good chance to earn Etihad Guest miles when flying on China Eastern’s large route network.
Gatwick Airport Double Strike Looms: May and June Dates Announced
A new strike could affect Gatwick Airport during May and June. The strike will affect check-in staff, baggage handlers and plane refuellers who work for Redline Handling and Redline Oil and will likely cause delays, cancellations and disruptions!
Plane refuellers from Redline Oil Services, which serves airlines including Easyjet, will stage two four-day walkouts: 16th to 20th May and 23rd to 27th May, the latter coinciding with the start of the busy half-term holiday.
Around 100 Unite Members from Red Handling, including check-in agents, baggage handlers, and flight dispatchers, will strike on four consecutive Sundays: 11th, 18th, 25th May, and 2nd June. Red Handling staff manage around 50 flights per day for airlines including Delta, Norwegian, Air Peace and TAP.
The disputes centre on missing and incorrect pension payments and late payments. Red Handling staff also staged strikes over Easter.
If you’re planning to fly out of Gatwick during a strike, keep a close eye on your flight status and consider arriving at the airport a little earlier to avoid possible delays at check-in and bag drop.
Get 30% More Avios with the Qatar Airways Points Transfer Bonus.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club has launched an uncapped 30% bonus when transferring points from select hotel and bank loyalty programmes into Avios. To qualify, convert your hotel points by 31st May into your Qatar Airways Privilege Club account.
The most notable ones are Accor Live Limitless, Shangri-La Circle, World of Hyatt for hotels and HSBC Rewards Points for credit card points.
The offer includes 24 loyalty programmes, but most are local to the Gulf area:
It’s important to note that converting loyalty points into hotel points isn’t usually good value. The best value comes from using hotel points for stays.
However, it may be worth transferring your points into Avios for small balances you wouldn’t otherwise use, as this offer has no minimum transfer rate,
HSBC usually run a yearly 25% bonus for transfers of HSBC Rewards Points into British Airways Avios, but this 30% offer is even better. It’s worth considering even if you later move your Qatar Avios into British Airways Avios.
Things to Know
Bonus Avios will be credited to your account by 30th June at the latest. Plenty of people have reported the transfer being instant, but keep the date in mind if you’re thinking of booking a redemption very soon!
You can redeem Qatar Avios with Qatar or spend them on flights with one of Qatar Airways’ partners (including Oneworld airlines). You also have the option to transfer them to another loyalty programme that uses Avios as its currency, such as BA, Iberia, or Finnair Plus.
You can find out more about earning and spending Qatar Avios in our Qatar Privilege Club Loyalty Programme Guide.
