South African Airways (SAA) and Indian international airline Jet Airways have announced a code-share agreement that will enable seamless air travel connectivity between several business centres in India and South Africa.

A code share agreement enables two or more airlines to share the same flight, allowing a seat to be purchased on one airline, but for the flight to be operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code.

Under the arrangement, SAA – the only airline currently offering nonstop flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai – would code share on Jet Airways’ operations between Mumbai and Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

In turn, Jet Airways would code share on SAA’s flights between Mumbai and Johannesburg, and from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban.

SAA believed the code share agreement would effectively enhance flight choices for customers, whether originating in India or Africa.

Customers who were members of SAA’s Voyager loyalty programme would be able to earn miles and obtain tier status when travelling on Jet Airways using SAA-issued tickets.

Similarly, members of Jet Airways’ Jet Privilege (JP) programme would also be able to earn and redeem JP Miles, tier points and tier JP Miles when travelling on SAA flights marketed by Jet Airways.

“SAA is pleased with this latest offering on the India route. This partnership strengthens the historic commercial, political and cultural cooperation between South Africa and India and further supports the objectives of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, or Brics, member States,” SAA commercial GM Manoj Papa commented.

A recent study by the Department of Tourism indicated that the number of tourists from India to South Africa had steadily increased by over 122% between 2005 and 2010 and by a further 29% between January and September 2011.