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Part 2 of 2 

MANILA, May 11, 2026 (SDN) — Travelling is such a joy, it raises the adrenaline!

What travellers — whether for work, for faith, for family, for leisure, and even for business — do not feel the excitement of visiting other cities of the world and meeting and interacting with other peoples and learning about their cultures. None, perhaps.

Most likely, travellers have their preferred airlines to fly on; but not all airlines in the aviation industry fly to every corner of the world.

For example, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from the Philippines, understandably, prefer to fly with the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) as they have been doing for many years. Foreigners bound for Saudi Arabia from the Philippines likely also prefer flying with Saudia.

But Saudia, the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, like some other international airlines, does not operate Philippine-wide. These points of origins where it does not fly to and from are called “offline cities”.

This is where the aviation industry’s “codeshare agreements” come in. Code-sharing among airlines expands, at least virtually, their reach, saves them the costs of flying, adds to revenue, and reduces risks.

Unknown to many Filipinos and other travellers on air from the Philippines is that Saudia has quite an extensive codeshare agreements with many airlines.

With code-sharing deals, passengers who prefer the kind of Saudia customer experience can still avail themselves of its services although they may fly on other airlines. It’s how airlines cooperate and work with one another, as they share revenue from the tickets. You book with Saudia, but fly with another airline.

Part 1 of II on Saudi Arabian Airlines exclusive interview with Saudia Country Manager Ateyah A. Al-Jehany for the Philippines & Offline Sales Service 

Saudia Philippines & Offline Sales Networks Country Manager Ateyah A. Al-Jehany, in an exclusive interview with SDN Online, said that as a way of support for the Philippine market, “Saudia is significantly strengthening its services in the country. With this, he points out, Filipino travellers can have a more spiritual (for pilgrims), seamless, and comfortable journey.

“Furthermore, through our code-share agreements, we are now able to offer competitive fares and a unified ticketing experience for guests travelling to the Kingdom from key cities such as Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro,” Al-Jehany emphasizes. He added that Filipino travellers can book ticket from their home to Saudi Arabia via the code-sharing arrangements with other airlines.

“More broadly, Saudia’s guests experience is rooted in authentic Saudi hospitality while continuing to modernize the journey across different touch-points.”

A peek on Saudia.com shows that at present the airline “has 25 active codeshare agreements, enabling its guests to access more than 100 additional international destinations.”

Saudia’s code-sharing is a two-way ticket (no pun intended) as it permits “travellers on its partner airlines to reach a wide range of domestic destinations in the Kingdom, as it reinforces the Saudi flag carrier’s role in global connectivity that brings the world to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi is a member of SkyTeam, the second biggest airlines alliance, having 19 airlines on board with around 14,000+ daily flights to over 1,036 destinations covering more than 175 countries.

“This allows our guests to connect smoothly through Saudia’s hub to all domestic points within Saudi Arabia, as well as to our extensive global network, delivering world-class connectivity at strong value,” Al-Jehany tells SDN Online.

So, how does code-sharing agreements work for airlines

Airlines crisscrossing the skies flying millions of air travellers year in and year out cannot fly to all the world’s destinations, international or domestic. Even your preferred aviation companies — even how big they are — have to think out of the box to expand their flights and reach beyond their capacity and earn additional revenues. It’s because flying those giant steel birds is costly. And it entails risks.

So, what the world’s airlines do?

Simple! They enter into a “codeshare agreement” with other airlines enabling them to expand, at least “virtually”, their reach without their plane actually flying to destinations where they do not operate themselves.

According to going.com, “codeshare is an agreement between airlines where one sells tickets for a flight operated by another”, thereby, giving airlines more destinations although they do not fly there themselves.

For example. What travellers going to Saudi Arabia can do, say from the offline cities Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro is buy and book their ticket via another airline (the marketing carrier) and fly with Saudia (the operating carrier which owns the plane and operates the flight). In this way, Passengers can book a single ticket for a journey that involves multiple carriers, and it comes also with “through-checked baggage”. (Wikipedia)

Code-sharing deals may also work this way: a Filipino travelling to, say Kathmandu, Nepal, may buy and book a ticket with Saudia (the marketing carrier) and fly with another airline (the operating carrier) which Saudia has a codeshare arrangement.

Al-Jehany pointed out that Saudia’s code-sharing deals opens up the aviation market for airlines. “Through strategic partnerships and code-share agreements, Saudi also enhances connectivity from secondary cities, enabling guests from markets such as the Philippines to access the Kingdom and Saudia’s wider global network more conveniently.”

The Saudia country manager thanked “our guests across the Philippines…for their continued thrust in” the Saudi national carrier.

“To Muslim communities in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and across the country, we recognize the deep importance of Hajj and Umrah travel and honored to support these journeys to the Kingdom,” Al-Jehany stresses.

“To Filipino workers, families, business travellers and all guests, we understand that travel to Saudi Arabia often carries personal meaning and importance.”

In connection with his, he assures that “Saudi remains committed to serving you with safety, care, respect and authentic Saudi hospitality.” (/)

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The author

EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)