AA, Swiss Air, & Sabena code-share announcement
Jun 22, 1999, 7:00 am
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AA, Swiss Air, & Sabena code-share announcement
News
June 22, 1999 06:55
American Air enters Swiss, Belgian alliances
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 22 (Reuters) - American Airlines said on Tuesday it had formed a European marketing alliance with Swissair and Belgium's Sabena World Airlines. The deal came as Air France announced formation of an exclusive, 10-year alliance with Delta Air Lines Inc. The alliance should operate by the end of the year.
Airlines are looking for international alliances as a means to increase revenues without having to buy new aircraft.
American Airlines, Swissair and Sabena plan to begin code-sharing on selected transatlantic routes as soon as possible after obtaining all necessary governmental approvals, said American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp.
Sabena is 49.5 percent owned by SAirGroup, the parent of Swissair.
Under the arrangement, American and Swissair will code-share on flights between Chicago and Zurich, and on Swissair flights between Zurich and both Boston and Miami.
American and Sabena will code-share on each other's flights between Chicago and Brussels, and on Sabena flights between Boston and Brussels.
The airlines plan to expand the arrangement later to include other transatlantic flights, as well as connecting flights beyond each other's gateway cities, American Airlines said. They also plan to extend the alliance to other members of the Qualiflyer Group, including Austrian Airlines.
SAirGroup said earlier Tuesday its Atlantic Excellence alliance with Sabena, Austrian Air and Delta would continue after the deal with American Airlines.
American Airlines travelers with AADVANTAGE frequent flier accounts will get miles credited from code-sharing flights. Members of Swissair's and Sabena's Qualiflyer frequent traveler programs will earn credits for codeshare flights on American Airlines.
Swissair and Sabena said that the companies are looking to save 150 million euros per year from closer cooperation in sales, marketing and network organization. The two European carriers plan to form Airline Management Co., a joint venture to manage those functions.
"This alliance with these two highly regarded, world class airlines will enable us to offer our customers more service options and greater travel flexibility, and strengthen our competitive position in Europe," said Don Carty, American's chairman and chief executive officer. "These new partners reflect American's continuing commitment to bring top-quality airlines into our alliance network."
Jeff Katz, Swissair's CEO, and Paul Reutlinger, Sabena's CEO, believe that the partnership with American Airlines offers excellent prospects for the future. "This alliance with one of the world's leading airlines will benefit our customers by giving them access to American's extensive network in the Western Hemisphere," Katz said.
Sources: Reuter, AA/AMR
June 22, 1999 06:55
American Air enters Swiss, Belgian alliances
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 22 (Reuters) - American Airlines said on Tuesday it had formed a European marketing alliance with Swissair and Belgium's Sabena World Airlines. The deal came as Air France announced formation of an exclusive, 10-year alliance with Delta Air Lines Inc. The alliance should operate by the end of the year.
Airlines are looking for international alliances as a means to increase revenues without having to buy new aircraft.
American Airlines, Swissair and Sabena plan to begin code-sharing on selected transatlantic routes as soon as possible after obtaining all necessary governmental approvals, said American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp.
Sabena is 49.5 percent owned by SAirGroup, the parent of Swissair.
Under the arrangement, American and Swissair will code-share on flights between Chicago and Zurich, and on Swissair flights between Zurich and both Boston and Miami.
American and Sabena will code-share on each other's flights between Chicago and Brussels, and on Sabena flights between Boston and Brussels.
The airlines plan to expand the arrangement later to include other transatlantic flights, as well as connecting flights beyond each other's gateway cities, American Airlines said. They also plan to extend the alliance to other members of the Qualiflyer Group, including Austrian Airlines.
SAirGroup said earlier Tuesday its Atlantic Excellence alliance with Sabena, Austrian Air and Delta would continue after the deal with American Airlines.
American Airlines travelers with AADVANTAGE frequent flier accounts will get miles credited from code-sharing flights. Members of Swissair's and Sabena's Qualiflyer frequent traveler programs will earn credits for codeshare flights on American Airlines.
Swissair and Sabena said that the companies are looking to save 150 million euros per year from closer cooperation in sales, marketing and network organization. The two European carriers plan to form Airline Management Co., a joint venture to manage those functions.
"This alliance with these two highly regarded, world class airlines will enable us to offer our customers more service options and greater travel flexibility, and strengthen our competitive position in Europe," said Don Carty, American's chairman and chief executive officer. "These new partners reflect American's continuing commitment to bring top-quality airlines into our alliance network."
Jeff Katz, Swissair's CEO, and Paul Reutlinger, Sabena's CEO, believe that the partnership with American Airlines offers excellent prospects for the future. "This alliance with one of the world's leading airlines will benefit our customers by giving them access to American's extensive network in the Western Hemisphere," Katz said.
Sources: Reuter, AA/AMR
Jun 22, 1999, 10:22 am
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Jun 23, 1999, 3:46 am
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So that makes it number 3 that SR has gone into partnership with a oneworld carrier..
SR codeshares with QF on the ZRH-SIN-SYD route, and with CX on the ZRH-HKG route, and now AA. Hmm...do we see a trend towards an invitation to join oneworld?
SR codeshares with QF on the ZRH-SIN-SYD route, and with CX on the ZRH-HKG route, and now AA. Hmm...do we see a trend towards an invitation to join oneworld?
Jun 23, 1999, 3:47 am
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So that makes it number 3 that SR has gone into partnership with a oneworld carrier..
SR codeshares with QF on the ZRH-SIN-SYD route, and with CX on the ZRH-HKG route, and now AA. Hmm...do we see a trend towards an invitation to join oneworld?
SR codeshares with QF on the ZRH-SIN-SYD route, and with CX on the ZRH-HKG route, and now AA. Hmm...do we see a trend towards an invitation to join oneworld?
Jun 23, 1999, 7:26 am
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This brings up a question I have been wondering about for awhile. What's the difference (or advantage) between flying a codeshare flight and a oneworld flight?
As a Boston resident, the fact that I can now fly Swissair and get AAdvantage miles is great, but since it's a codeshare, the miles will count toward AAdvantage (and therefore oneworld) status. There will be AA gate agents in Boston and Zurich who will recognize my AAdvantage status, so it doesn't matter if I'm an Emerald or Ruby in Swissair's eyes, right?
Not that I'm opposed, but can someone tell me what possible benefit I would get from Swissair joining oneworld if this were the only flight I was interested in?
As a Boston resident, the fact that I can now fly Swissair and get AAdvantage miles is great, but since it's a codeshare, the miles will count toward AAdvantage (and therefore oneworld) status. There will be AA gate agents in Boston and Zurich who will recognize my AAdvantage status, so it doesn't matter if I'm an Emerald or Ruby in Swissair's eyes, right?
Not that I'm opposed, but can someone tell me what possible benefit I would get from Swissair joining oneworld if this were the only flight I was interested in?
Jun 23, 1999, 9:08 am
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you will have to check-in with the carrier-airline. In Zurich with Swissair at terminal A (AA is, at this time, in terminal B) - and probably there will be no AA-agent around.
Jun 23, 1999, 1:54 pm
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Thanks mgm. That's true. Guess I'm confusing the propect of a partnership where ANY of the other partners flights will be crediable to either program as elite qualification- in the same manner of KLM and NWA. As you know, it does not have to be a code share or KL- or NW- designated. Here any KLM flight counts toward elite qualification on NWA. I guess that does not apply here in any way shape or form!
Jun 24, 1999, 3:27 am
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billm -- technically speaking it should not. Furthermore, you may not get BA miles for any AA code shares regardless of where the flight is going. Supposedly the AA/BA arrangement is only for non transatlantic flights marketed and operated by AA or BA. However, I once took a BA code share on a QF flight (prior to oneworld) - miles did not automatically post so I sent in a copy of the boarding pass and ticket. Miles eventually posted after 6 weeks.