Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines recently announced a Comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding for a Strategic Cooperation to lead Asia-Pacific Travel. The purpose of this agreement is to

"...offer an unrivaled range of value-added services to passengers."

But what does it actually mean for passengers of the pair of airlines?

New partnership between Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines

Qatar (QR) and Malaysia (MH) have been codeshare partners since 2004 and a part of the oneworld Alliance since 2013, which leads us to ask what is new with this partnership. This is what we know so far.

Through Malaysia's hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Qatar's passengers will gain better access to three key destinations in Asia: Penang, Langkawi and Medan, Indonesia.

“This is a significant moment for us as we have just celebrated 20 years of serving Malaysia, and this new strategic cooperation with our oneworld partner, Malaysia Airlines, further cements our commitment to the country. This partnership will serve to link both our networks and allow us to work together across different aspects of the business therefore creating exciting opportunities for our joint passengers, as well as for our airlines." - His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive

At this time, it is unclear what Qatar's new offerings for Malaysia's passengers will be, but given its extensive network, the opportunities are endless.

Qatar recently placed a large aircraft order on January 31, which includes 100 Boeing Aircraft, 50 of the 777X model and 50 of the 737MAX. Although the order was not a part of the new partnership, aircraft orders are frequently placed during a time of expansion for airlines. Speaking on the significance of the new partnership, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said:

“As we move towards a post-pandemic world, successful business is driven by strong partnerships, and this close cooperation with Malaysia Airlines is a firm example of how symbiotic international partnerships can pave way to industry recovery. Providing customers access to the most extensive route network with unrivalled services and seamless connections.”

Purpose of airline alliances

Passengers have multiple benefits through airline alliances, the most important being the ability to book flights on multiple airlines, but on one sole ticket.

But how do airlines benefit from alliances? To put it simply, alliances...

"...allow the marketing of more destinations, and to more customers, without the need to operate flights themselves."

Click here to read more about airline alliances, Airline Alliances: What Are They & What Are The Benefits?

What Qatar Airways' & Malaysia Airlines' partnership means for you

As countries begin to ease COVID restrictions and borders reopen, air travel continues to rebound. The demand for flights is rising quickly, and people are starting to feel more comfortable with air travel in the midst of a global pandemic.

“We believe the strategic partnership will put both full-service carriers on a stronger footing to compete in the highly competitive market as we continue to navigate recovery of the pandemic. With the reopening of international borders and an increase in the demand for air travel.”

- Mr. Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines Berhad

Malaysia Airlines currently has a fleet of 99 aircraft which operate 116 routes to 76 destinations in 22 countries. Qatar Airways, the world's fastest growing airline, serves 160 destinations and has a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft. QR has been very busy this year, ordering aircraft and announcing route expansions. In January, QR announced that they would be doubling their Nigeria network. This means that QR has now added a total of eight new African destinations since the pandemic.

If you would like to take a trip to Asia anytime soon, these two airlines have done a phenomenal job of building a network which facilitates the booking process and makes for a seamless travel experience.

If you could book a trip on Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines, where would you go? Let us know in the comments!