Emirates and SAA have reactivated their long-standing codeshare aimed at increasing connectivity for both carriers.

A media release from SAA says the two carriers have been working toward increasing alignment across products, services and reactivation of synergies between loyalty programmes.

SAA-coded and Emirates-operated routes between South Africa and Dubai are now available on a single ticket and travellers’ bags can be seamlessly checked through to their final destination. Emirates will also place the SAA code on major trunk routes between South Africa and Dubai.

SAA said plans were under way to expand co-operation and cement the partnership even further on more domestic and regional points in Africa as SAA expanded its operations, while Emirates would also reciprocally add more options for SAA customers to connect to selected destinations within its network on one itinerary.

With the restoration of the SAA partnership, Emirates’ footprint across southern and South Africa offers customers more options across the continent.

Currently, SAA operates flights only between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and regionally Johannesburg-Harare and Johannesburg-Accra.