Icelandic low-cost operator PLAY Airlines has announced the expansion of its PLAY Connect online booking platform with the addition of new airline partner easyJet. The pairing of the two budget airlines has been made possible via special interlining technology supplied by software firm Dohop.
Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, Dohop is a European developer of alternative interline solutions. Through facilitating simple and profitable air-to-air and air-to-ground partnerships, Dohop’s booking platform allows airline customers to make reservations with a wide range of air and land-based partners via a single booking.
Founded in 2004, Dohop’s platform now offers interline connections via a portfolio of over 85 airlines and travel providers, including easyJet, Transavia, Air France, Vueling, and Air Transat, as well as ground-based travel providers. Interlining is the pairing of two travel itineraries under one single booking reference.
The new partnership with easyJet, which was Dohop’s first airline partner, is part of PLAY’s ambitions to broaden travel options for its customers through the provision of seamless access to a wider range of destinations across Europe and beyond. With easyJet joining the platform, PLAY Connect can now offer customers convenient connections to over 350 unique city pairs using a combination of its own and easyJet-operated flights.
Equally, PLAY Connect allows the Reykjavik-based airline to offer single-ticket flight itineraries to a wide range of global city pairs which extends to destinations far beyond its own network.
According to a DOHOP statement, “Alternative interlining is a transformative approach in today’s airline industry, enabling carriers like PLAY to offer more flexible and diverse travel options without the need for traditional interline agreements. By leveraging Dohop’s technology, PLAY Connect can provide customers with a broader array of destinations and a more streamlined booking experience, enhancing customer satisfaction and meeting the growing demand for unique travel itineraries.”
“With Dohop’s alternative interlining technology, we are not just expanding our network; we’re transforming the way our customers travel,” said Tatiana Shirokova, Head of Distribution at PLAY Airlines. “The inclusion of easyJet into PLAY Connect allows us to provide an extensive range of destinations while ensuring a seamless and cost-effective travel experience.”
“At easyJet, we’re committed to making travel as easy as possible as well as providing great value and more choice for our customers when they fly with us, so we are delighted to be on the PLAY Connect platform,” added Dawn Hardwick, easyJet’s Global Lead Strategic Airline Partnerships and Connectivity. “With our strong presence at Europe’s leading airports, we are now able to offer connecting passengers on PLAY Airlines greater access to our route network connecting Europe’s primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.”
PLAY Airlines says that it expects PLAY Connect will become “a pivotal platform in the airline industry, offering travelers an unparalleled range of travel options at a fraction of the usual cost”. While interlining has traditionally been impossible between low-cost carriers, more airlines are now realizing the benefits that interlining can bring to them and their customers, particularly when itineraries connect two or more budget carriers in one itinerary.
PLAY started operations in June 2021 and now flies to over 40 destinations between Europe and North America via Iceland. Its fleet is among the youngest in Europe, consisting of 10 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. The airline carried 1.5 million passengers in 2023 with an average 83.4% load factor. As PLAY continues to grow, it has plans to expand partnerships with more airlines from the USA, Canada, the Middle East, LATAM, and Asia.