Virgin Atlantic will join the SKyTeam alliance in early 2023, boosting the group’s presence in the UK. Virgin Atlantic will become SkyTeam’s first and only UK member airline, offering long-haul flights from Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.
SkyTeam
ITA Airways joins SkyTeam, replacing Alitalia
SkyTeam officially welcomes ITA Airways as a member airline today. The Alitalia replacement joins the alliance two weeks after launching flights and a new loyalty program for customers.
Accessible Lavs and more wifi flying: The Weekly Wrap–10 July 2020
Improved wifi offerings from multiple vendors leads this edition of the Weekly Wrap, while an option for more accessible lav access is our feature interview. Plus lots more!
IAG snaps up Air Europa to boost Latin American operations
Consolidation continues in the global aviation market, this time delivering a shift in transatlantic services. International Airline Group announced this morning its intentions to buy Air Europa. The Spanish carrier will become part of the Iberia operation within IAG though remain an independent brand, at least to start. The deal is valued at 1 billion euro and full integration is expected by 2025.
Shaking things up – PaxEx Update: 2019-09-27
A mega investment shakes up the aviation landscape in the Americas while biometrics continue to grow globally and a new type brings major improvements (and minor cuts) for a growing airline.
LATAM takes Delta’s cash, bails on American, Oneworld
A major shake-up is underway in the Americas as LATAM bails on its long time partner American Airlines in favor of a significant financial investment (and JV that is more likely to get through the courts) from Delta Air Lines.
Blue Skies ahead as Delta, KLM, Air France, Virgin Atlantic receive ATI approval
It only makes sense that the Department of Transportation tentatively approved the latest antitrust immunity (ATI) request. After all, the mutual ownership blend across Delta Air Lines, Air France/KLM and Virgin Atlantic lends itself to coordination of operations, marketing and pricing efforts. The DoT did hold back a tiny bit, though it is unlikely that will be sufficiently consolatory for the parties that objected to the deal.
Solving the Codeshare Conundrum: Travelport, Routehappy, alliances weigh in
Codeshare flights: Great for airlines and confusing for passengers. Multiple groups across the industry are looking to clear up that confusion, exposing better data to travelers and smoothing the marketing message.
China Southern quits SkyTeam, seeks stronger partnerships
SkyTeam lost its largest mainland China airline this week. China Southern announced it will quit the alliance in 2019. The non-renewal of the membership contract will see the carrier transition out of its alliance relationships in the coming year. This is not a hard stop of relations; rather, the changes are likely to roll out over time. It is also not a surprise.
Hawaiian, JAL go all-in on joint venture application
Can a joint venture truly deliver passenger benefits in the form of better connections and reduced fares? The proposal from JAL and Hawaiian Airlines might be the best chance we’ve seen yet to deliver on such promises.