Emirates has reached a codeshare deal with LATAM Airlines Brazil that will see the Dubai-based giant connect to 17 cities in the South American carrier’s domestic network.
The deal means people traveling to and from the cities will now be able to connect in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with Emirates flights to Dubai.
Emirates senior vice president Adnan Kazim said the deal would give passengers increased choice and flexibility to cities in Brazil with minimum connections times to destinations in Emirates’ global network such as Japan, Australia and India.
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“We continuously invest in providing more benefits to our customers. With our award-winning product and strong partners in Brazil, we look forward to continue supporting the country’s growing inbound tourist numbers and business trade opportunities,’’ he said.
Codeshare routes with LATAM Brazil from Sao Paulo include 16 destinations such as Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Campo Grande, Foz do Iguaçu Falls and Recife.
The codeshare includes nine routes from Rio: Belem, Brasilia, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Goiania, Iguassu Falls, Manaus, Natal and Vitora.
Emirates currently serves two Brazil gateways with daily services to Dubai from Sao Paulo, operated by the A380, and Rio de Janeiro, which feature the newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR from June 1, 2019.
Passengers can also fly to Buenos Aires and, from June 1, Santiago de Chile onboard the Boeing 777-200LR.
The Gulf carrier recently completed a $US150m refurbishment of its 10 Boeing 777-200LRs three months ahead of schedule.
The B777-200LR project saw the 10 planes converted from three classes to two cabins and the introduction of wider business class seats in a 2-2-2 format. The airline also refreshed its economy class.
It is currently touting a number of deals for Australians traveling through Dubai including discounted fares to Europe, a night’s accommodation, a free or discounted Uber ride from the airport and the ability to use their boarding pass for a range of discounts.
LATAM also confirmed recently that it plans to offer nonstop flights between Sydney and Santiago, Chile, at the end of 2019. The airline currently operates a one-stop service between the two cities via Auckland.
