VANCOUVER, Canada – November 30, 2020 – Etihad Airways, the national airline of UAE, has partnered with PressReader, the world’s premium all-you-can-consume digital newspaper and magazine platform. The new partnership brings global content to Etihad’s international passengers wherever they fly worldwide. Access will open to guests 30 hours before flight time, unlocking more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines from 120 countries in over 60 languages. Through PressReader’s digital platform, passengers also access enhanced features such as offline reading, audio listening, and translation of publications into 21 languages for those travelers who wish to read in their dialect of choice (including Arabic).
“As part of our commitment to reducing the spread of COVID-19, we removed high-touch surfaces including printed newspapers and magazines from the customer journey and enhanced the experience by partnering with PressReader,” notes Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand & Marketing, Etihad Aviation Group. “To encourage a contactless experience, this new partnership gives our guests choice and convenience to download as many digital publications as they would like, before their flight, to read at home, across our lounges, at the airport, or during their flight.”
A strong commitment to the customer experience and sustainability brought Etihad to PressReader from a previous digital platform. The switch was motivated by Etihad’s wish to offer the widest selection of choice and best reading experience to their passengers while moving to 100% digital. Since late 2018, the airline has embraced an essential ‘Choose Well’ strategy, which reflects Etihad’s evolution into an ‘airline of choices.’ The inspiration was taken from the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his choices to develop his nation. And, it’s a strategy the airline has proved works. Last year Etihad received industry recognition with a sweep of awards that included the ‘World’s Leading Airline 2019’, ‘World’s Leading Airline – Customer Experience 2019’, ‘World’s Leading Airline Inflight Entertainment 2019’, and ‘World’s Leading Excellence Inflight Service 2019’.
“We’re thrilled to bring quality publications to Etihad travelers wherever their journey takes them. With the largest selection of publications globally to choose from, we’re personalizing the guest experience with relevant content. With our solution, that’s possible not just in-flight, but also before and after, in the safest possible way. Etihad is known for its high-quality inflight entertainment and customer experience, and we’re honored to connect their guests with the widest selection of newspapers and magazines, to delight even the most discerning reader,” notes Alex Kroogman, CEO, PressReader Group of Companies.
To browse PressReader’s catalog and start searching for favorite titles, guests need to download the Etihad Airways mobile app to their device before their flight or click the PressReader link in their check-in reminder email. Every downloaded issue is free to keep to be read anywhere, any time. A curated selection of popular newspapers and magazines from the PressReader catalog is also available on Etihad’s award-winning inflight entertainment system. Better still, when traveling through Etihad’s codeshare partners, passengers can enjoy seamless access to newspapers and magazines with Aer Lingus, JetBlue, Air Canada, or Turkish Airlines – partners that already offer access to PressReader’s catalog.
PressReader continues to help its commercial aviation partners like Etihad Airways offer choice and safety, and they’re not alone. Over 200 lounges and more than ten international airlines already deliver an enhanced travel experience in partnership with PressReader. By collaborating with the world’s largest digital newsstand, airlines and airport lounges provide content choice like never before in safe ways for their passengers.
