VietNamNet Bridge - Jetstar Airways has entered commercial agreements with two Hong Kong carriers – Cathay Pacific and Dragonair – to enable their passengers to fly with the Australian low-fare carrier and Vietnam’s Jetstar Pacific as part of a single integrated transaction and travel itinerary.

Jetstar Airways said in a statement obtained by the Daily last week that Dragonair’s extensive network of flights in North Asia would connect to the services operated by the low-cost Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam via Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi.

Cathay Pacific, one of the leading airlines in Asia, currently conducts up to 18 daily flights between Hong Kong and Australia and New Zealand as well as Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC. Jetstar Airways also flies between the biggest international airport in Vietnam and Australia.

Jetstar chief commercial officer David Koczkar said the agreements would facilitate connections for customers of the two Hong Kong airlines to travel to and around Australia as well as within Asia on its Pan Asian network.

“These agreements enable Cathay Pacific and Dragonair customers to access and book a Jetstar domestic or international sector as part of a single seamless reservation,” Koczkar said. “This will be particularly attractive for Hong Kong and Chinese flyers planning their travel to and within Australia and New Zealand, as well as on our growing domestic Vietnamese operations.”

As a partner of Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Pacific is operating more than 40 daily flights from and to HCMC, Hanoi, Danang, Vinh, Haiphong and Hue. This second biggest carrier in Vietnam now has seven Boeing B737-400 and Airbus A320 planes and looks set to expand its all-Airbus-A320 fleet to 15 in the next four years.

Jetstar Airways is under the umbrella of Qantas, an Australian airline group which announced last year to acquire a 27% stake in Jetstar Pacific and has the right to increase its ownership in the Vietnamese carrier to 30% under a US$50-million agreement signed with State Capital Investment Corp. (SCIC). SCIC is the biggest shareholder of Jetstar Pacific.

Jetstar Airways said the pacts with Cathay Pacific and Dragonair were the 16th and 17th interline airline ones in Jetstar’s growing carrier partnerships, including Qantas, Air France/KLM, American Airlines, Air Canada and Japan Airlines.

For passengers on international to international flight connection under the agreements, Jetstar will provide Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passengers with baggage allowances, through bag-tagging and on select services, complimentary onboard offerings such as meals and comfort packs.

Source: SGT