FOR RELEASE: Monday, Oct. 21, 2002
American Applauds U.S. Government Negotiators for Reaching an Aviation Agreement With Hong Kong

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines today applauded negotiators with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Transportation for reaching a liberalized bilateral aviation agreement with the government of Hong Kong. The new agreement broadly expands commercial opportunities for U.S. passenger and cargo carriers and paves the way for the DOT to approve American’s application to codeshare with its oneworld partner, Cathay Pacific.

"The codesharing will allow American to serve the Hong Kong market and deepen our relationship with Cathay Pacific, a key partner in the global oneworld alliance," said Don Carty, American’s chairman and chief executive officer. "All of this will mean a broader range of services for travel between the U.S. and Asia. It will also bring us closer to achieving our goal of providing customers with seamless connecting services to the complete oneworld network by codesharing with all of our alliance partners."

American plans to place its code on Cathay flights to Hong Kong from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and beyond Hong Kong to key destinations throughout Southeast Asia. These would include such points as Singapore; Bangkok, Thailand; and Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia. Cathay would place its code on American services to several key points beyond its U.S. gateways. The two carriers already have a reciprocal frequent flyer program.

Carty said the introduction of the American Airlines brand in Hong Kong could also lead at some future point to American offering its own service between the U.S. and Hong Kong.

I think the agreement was 5 + 20. 5 real gateways and 20 additional codeshared ones.

Any interpretation of this to include NRT - HKG codesharing on CX flights ?

My question, as a Hong Kong-based AA Platinum who earns most mile on Cathay, is whether I will be able to book that HKG-SIN on an AA code and, here's the point, UPGRADE using my AA miles!?!

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UA 1K switching to AA/CX/Asia Miles so I can use them out here in Asia!

If you are looking to upgrade on cheap fares, you will only be able to do it if AA operates the flight---AA metal.

I would think you will only be able to book an AA coded HKG-SIN when it is part of a transpacific AA-coded flight with no stopovers. No stand-alone purchases. That's how AA's codeshares are with JL in Asia. But I may be wrong.

Does not the new deal call for fifth freedom rights?--or is that just for the cargo airlines.

5th freedom cargo + pax flights

i guess codeshare between AA/CX will work
similar to AA's codeshare agreements with
other OW carriers.

I'm still hoping!