Published on
November 11, 2025
Etihad Airways and Hong Kong Airlines have significantly transformed global travel by launching a new and powerful codeshare and reciprocal loyalty partnership. This collaboration enhances connectivity between the Middle East, Greater China, and Japan, providing passengers with seamless travel options and exclusive benefits. The new initiative allows Etihad passengers to connect to major destinations in Japan and Hong Kong, while Hong Kong Airlines’ travelers can enjoy convenient access to Abu Dhabi and beyond, all through a single ticket and integrated services. With the added advantage of earning and redeeming miles across both airlines’ loyalty programs, this partnership promises a smoother and more rewarding travel experience for frequent flyers.
Etihad Airways and Hong Kong Airlines have officially enhanced their cooperation by launching a new codeshare agreement and a reciprocal loyalty partnership. This strategic alliance aims to improve air connectivity between the Middle East, Greater China, and Japan, offering a seamless travel experience for passengers across both airlines’ networks.
The formalisation of the partnership took place on November 4, 2025, during a special ceremony in Hong Kong. This coincided with the arrival of Etihad Airways’ inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong International Airport, marking the airline’s return to the city after a hiatus. The new codeshare agreement is set to boost travel options, strengthening the ties between these two major international hubs and enhancing connectivity to key destinations.
Enhanced Travel Options with Codeshare Agreement
Under the terms of the new agreement, Hong Kong Airlines’ flights between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi will be marketed under Etihad’s “EY” flight code. This provides Etihad passengers with a smooth connection between the two cities. Additionally, Etihad travellers can now seamlessly connect to several major Japanese cities, including Fukuoka, Hokkaido-Sapporo, Osaka, and Okinawa, via Hong Kong Airlines-operated flights, which will be assigned the “HX” code.
One of the major benefits of this collaboration is the ability for passengers to book their entire journey on a single ticket, offering a convenient and hassle-free travel experience. With the integration of both airlines’ services, passengers will enjoy the benefits of through-check-in and automatic baggage transfers, ensuring a streamlined travel experience from departure to arrival.
This new partnership significantly enhances connectivity in the region, providing travellers with a wide range of travel options. Whether they are flying between the Middle East and Greater China or heading to Japan, this expanded partnership provides more choices for efficient and convenient travel.
Expanded Loyalty Benefits for Frequent Flyers
In addition to the codeshare agreement, the new partnership introduces a reciprocal loyalty programme, allowing members of both airlines’ frequent flyer programmes to earn and redeem miles across both networks. Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, and the Fortune Wings Club, Hong Kong Airlines’ loyalty programme, will be integrated under this new initiative.
Frequent flyers will be able to enjoy the benefits of earning miles on flights operated by both airlines, as well as the ability to redeem those miles for rewards across both networks. This expansion of the loyalty programme enhances the travel experience for customers, giving them access to an even broader range of destinations and more opportunities to earn and use miles.
The partnership further builds on Etihad’s existing cooperation with Hainan Airlines, marking another milestone in the airline’s strategy to expand its presence and loyalty programme offerings in Asia. With this new collaboration, Etihad Guest members can now earn and redeem miles on flights operated by Hong Kong Airlines, while Hong Kong Airlines’ Fortune Wings Club members gain access to Etihad’s extensive network, especially in the Middle East and Europe.
Strategic Benefits for Both Airlines
The expansion of this partnership brings several strategic benefits for both airlines. For Etihad Airways, the codeshare agreement strengthens its presence in the Greater China and Japanese markets, while Hong Kong Airlines gains improved access to the Middle East and additional global destinations through Etihad’s extensive network.
For passengers, the collaboration means easier connections and enhanced convenience. As both airlines are committed to providing seamless travel experiences, passengers will benefit from a more integrated network that spans key global markets. The codeshare and loyalty partnership is expected to foster stronger customer loyalty, offering passengers greater flexibility and rewards as they travel across the two airlines’ networks.
The agreement is also expected to boost tourism and business travel between the Middle East, Greater China, and Japan, further enhancing the economic ties between these regions. As the travel industry continues to recover, partnerships like this are essential in providing passengers with more travel choices and better connectivity across borders.
What Does This Mean for Passengers?
The introduction of this codeshare and loyalty partnership provides several advantages for travellers. Firstly, the ability to book flights on a single ticket will make connecting between Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and Japan far more convenient. The automatic transfer of baggage between both airlines ensures that passengers won’t need to worry about retrieving their luggage and re-checking it when making connections.
Additionally, travellers can expect a seamless travel experience with through-check-in available across both carriers. This service allows passengers to check in once for their entire journey, avoiding the hassle of re-checking in for connecting flights.
The integration of the two airlines’ loyalty programmes also offers significant rewards for frequent flyers. Passengers who are members of Etihad’s Guest programme or Hong Kong Airlines’ Fortune Wings Club can now earn and redeem miles across both networks. This opens up a wider range of rewards options for loyal customers, providing more flexibility and opportunities to use accumulated miles for flights, upgrades, and other benefits.
Looking Ahead: Future Prospects for the Partnership
As both Etihad Airways and Hong Kong Airlines continue to focus on expanding their networks, this partnership is set to play an important role in the airlines’ future growth. The codeshare agreement and reciprocal loyalty programme are just the beginning of a broader effort to enhance connectivity between the Middle East, Greater China, Japan, and beyond.
Looking ahead, the airlines are likely to explore further opportunities for collaboration, including the potential for additional codeshare routes and more integrated services for passengers. With both carriers focused on providing exceptional customer service and seamless travel experiences, this partnership is poised to strengthen their positions in the competitive global aviation market.
For now, the expansion of codeshare routes and the introduction of the joint loyalty programme mark a significant milestone in the collaboration between Etihad Airways and Hong Kong Airlines. Passengers can look forward to a more integrated, convenient, and rewarding travel experience, with expanded options for travel between the Middle East, Greater China, and Japan.
Etihad Airways and Hong Kong Airlines have strengthened their travel collaboration with a new codeshare and loyalty partnership, boosting connectivity between the Middle East, Greater China, and Japan. This strategic alliance offers passengers enhanced travel options, streamlined booking, and reciprocal loyalty benefits.
This new codeshare agreement and reciprocal loyalty partnership represent a significant step in enhancing air connectivity and customer satisfaction across the two airlines’ networks. Whether travelling for business or leisure, passengers now have more options, flexibility, and rewards, making this collaboration a win-win for travellers and the airlines alike.
