Air travellers in the UAE now have greater access to the American market, following regulatory approval for a new codeshare agreement between Etihad Airways and American Airlines.

The new codeshare agreement comes into effect this week and coincides with the launch by Etihad Airways of flights to Chicago on September 2, 2009.

The codeshare agreement extends further the two airlines’ global networks by providing easy access between Abu Dhabi and key cities in the United States including Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services operated by the US carrier between Europe and the United States, as well as selected domestic services operated by American Airlines beyond New York and Chicago.

In turn American Airlines will place its own ‘AA’ code on services operated by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and New York, Chicago, Paris, Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester and Milan.

The American Airlines domestic routes within the US covered by the new codeshare arrangement will initially include flights between New York and Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as flights between Chicago and Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

The transatlantic services include American Airlines flights between: Paris and Boston, Chicago, Miami; Dublin and Chicago; Frankfurt and Dallas/Fort Worth; Manchester and Chicago; and Milan and New York.

Customers transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being able to check in their luggage to their ultimate destination.

Etihad Airways currently flies to two destinations in North America: New York and Toronto in Canada. The airline will begin flights to Chicago from Wednesday 2 September, 2009. The route will be served initially three times a week and will increase to six flights per week from Sunday 1 November, before becoming a daily service from 1 January 2010.

American Airlines currently flies transatlantic services from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London, Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.

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