Emirates and Alaska launch frequent flier alliance

Emirates said on Monday that it has launched a frequent flier partnership with Alaska Airlines as the Dubai carrier prepares to launch services to Seattle starting on March 1. The Double Miles deal will offer travellers the opportunity to accrue Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles when they fly to any of Emirates' 118 destinations globally, including points across Africa, India and the Middle East, Emirates stated. It added that Emirates Skywards members can also accrue miles across the Alaska Airlines network in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada and Mexico. Under the new partnership, travellers connecting between any point on Emirates and Alaska Airlines' networks will also be able to check in for their flights at either carrier's counter, receive their boarding passes and check their bags to their final destination. Emirates will operate a daily non-stop flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Dubai aboard an ultra-long range B777-300ER from March 1 this year with Seattle becoming the airline's sixth US gateway , joining New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and from February 2, Dallas/Fort Worth. Article continues below "As part of our commitment to Seattle, we are launching our service by partnering with Seattle's hometown airline to offer customers the convenience of a frequent flier partnership as well as one-stop check-in and through checked baggage, providing easier access to a vast range of points across the United States, Canada and Mexico," Nigel Page, Emirates' Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Americas, said in a statement. To celebrate the new partnership, both airlines are offering double miles on each others' flights starting March 1 through May 31, 2012. To earn Double Miles, members must register their Skywards number at skywards.com or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number at alaskaair.com prior to their first qualifying flight.