Flydubai replaces loyalty programme with Emirates Skywards

Low cost carrier Flydubai is scrapping its customer loyalty programme less than two years after it was launched in favour of that of its sister airline Emirates.

Flydubai said on Sunday that Emirates Skywards would replace its OPEN rewards programme, first launched in October 2016, from August 1.

Read: Flydubai launches loyalty programme

This follows a partnership between the two airlines announced last year to improve synergies and cut costs.

Read: Emirates, flydubai announce new codeshare routes

Under the change, all OPEN members will be enrolled with Skywards and continue to be rewarded when travelling with Flydubai by earning Skywards regular miles and tier miles for every flight.

This month, OPEN Gold members and Emirates Skywards silver members and above who are also OPEN members will be able to convert OPEN rewards to Skywards miles at a rate of two OPEN points to one Skywards mile.

OPEN rewards points held in existing accounts can be redeemed for future Flydubai flights until July 31.

“With flydubai almost certainly expected to further integrate and coalesce operations with Emirates beyond its extensive codeshare pact, both airlines will now naturally be working to use Emirates’ Terminal 3 at Dubai International to allow even better minimum connection times and allow better and effective flight scheduling for passengers who are connecting on either an Emirates or Flydubai flight,” said StrategicAero Research chief analystt Saj Ahmad.

“Given the relatively little network overlap between the two Dubai-based airlines, the single Skywards reward programme for both airlines enhances customer loyalty while providing the spoils for future flight bookings and other associated travel benefits out of Dubai and beyond.”

Flydubai said more than 650,000 people had benefited from its partnership with Emirates since it began last July.

Together the two airlines fly to more than 200 destinations and are codesharing on almost all of Flydubai’s new routes including flights to Sicily launched last week.

Read: Flydubai to deploy new Boeing 737 Max on flights to Sicily