Qatar Airways and Alaska Airlines are launching a frequent-flyer partnership this month, with plans for deeper commercial cooperation next year.
The partnership will kick off on Dec. 15, at which point members of Qatar Airways’ Privileges Club and Alaska’s Mileage Plan will be able to earn miles on one another’s flights. On March 31, when Alaska officially joins the Oneworld alliance, that will expand to allow frequent-flyer miles redemption on one another’s flights and access to such elite status perks as lounge access. The carriers also are working to develop a codeshare agreement and other opportunities for commercial cooperation.
In addition, Qatar plans to start four weekly flights between Doha and Seattle on March 15, which will open up more cooperation opportunities with Alaska. Seattle will be Qatar’s 11th U.S. destination and its seventh new destination since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Qatar Airways is committed to enhancing connectivity within the U.S. market, and the launch of flights to Seattle, our second new U.S. destination since the onset of the pandemic, epitomizes this commitment,” Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said in a statement. “In Alaska Airlines, we will have a very strong partner to connect customers from the U.S. West Coast to Doha and beyond via its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, complementing our existing strategic partnerships with American Airlines and JetBlue.”
