Bangkok Airways has strengthened its partnership with Qatar Airways through a pairing of their frequent flyer programmes.
Bangkok Airways' Flyer Bonus members are now able to earn points when travelling on Qatar Airways flights.
Similarly, Qatar Airways' Qmiles members can earn and redeem their miles when travelling on Bangkok Airways-operated flights to destinations such as Samui, Krabi, Phuket, Luang Prabang, Da Nang and Phu Quoc via Bangkok.
The tie-up, effective as of Nov 1, raised the bar for cooperation between the two carriers, which started in May 2013 as a codeshare partnership.
Jirapon Hirunrat, vice-president for fleet and network management at Bangkok Airways, said this partnership will bring significant benefits to passengers of both airlines.
Ehab Amin, chief commercial officer at Qatar Airways, described the reciprocal loyalty programme cooperation as a natural extension of the highly productive relationship that started with the codeshare partnership.
An industry analyst suggested that one round-trip fare on Qatar Airways to Europe would earn enough points for a round-trip Thai domestic fare without shelling out one baht.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways has added Vietnam Airlines into its codeshare partnership pool.
Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said the agreement strengthens the two airlines' respective route networks and helps commercial sales of both.
Pursuing codeshare partnerships with international airlines is Bangkok Airways' main strategy for growth.
With Vietnam Airlines, Bangkok Airways' codeshare partners increases to 24.
"This codeshare agreement allows Bangkok Airways' passengers convenient and seamless access to more destinations in Vietnam," said Capt Puttipong.
"Likewise, Vietnam Airlines' passengers are able to travel to well-known destinations in Thailand through our network."
Duong Tri Thanh, chief executive of Vietnam Airlines, said the accord with Bangkok Airways also reflects Vietnam Airlines' ambition to become a five-star airline, rising from a four-star operation.
The codeshare agreement will cover both domestic and international routes.
