Etihad and South African Airways became partners this past April and have recently extended the partnership to include more opportunities for members to earn and redeem miles and added benefits like priority baggage handling, boarding and check-in and airport lounge access based on membership tiers. The partnership also offers a more seamless flight experience when booking codeshare flights on either airline.

Nico Bezuidenhout, SAA’s acting CEO, said, “Under the second phase of our cooperation, we will better serve established regions such as North America, Europe and Australia, while strengthening our presence in fast-growing markets across the Middle East and Asia.”