US Airways joins merger partner American Airlines in transatlantic joint business with Finnair, Iberia and British Airways
Finnair Plc. Stock Exchange Release 4 April 2014 9:30 EET
American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair today celebrate a key milestone as US Airways becomes the fifth airline – and fifth oneworld® alliance member – to join the airlines’ transatlantic joint venture. As part of the joint business, established by American, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010 and joined by Finnair in 2013, the five airlines can cooperate commercially on transatlantic flights, which includes a revenue sharing agreement in which member airlines have permission to coordinate schedules and pricing on North Atlantic routes. These benefits provide customers traveling between North America and Europe increased choices and access to a more comprehensive network.
US Airways will add 28 transatlantic routes to the joint business including new nonstop service between 18 European destinations and the United States. With combined operations, the joint business enables seamless travel from cities all over Europe to more than 240 destinations in North America.
The joint business hub airports include New York’s JFK, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Heathrow, Madrid, Helsinki, Phoenix, Charlotte and Philadelphia. From Helsinki, dozens of cities in North America from Vancouver to Charlotte are only a one-stop itinerary away as a result of the joint business.
Enhanced benefits for customers of the five airlines include:
- Coordinated schedules on joint business routes, providing customers with better flight choices and more convenient schedules
- Dedicated support teams for customers connecting at nine of the airlines' hubs: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, and Philadelphia
- Online check-in and boarding pass printing with either the airline operating the flight, or the website of the airline used to book travel
- Lounge access and priority baggage privileges for loyalty program members
- Increased opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer benefits on transatlantic flights
- More attractive corporate sales programs
US Airways will join the joint business as an affiliate member until it fully integrates operations with American Airlines as part of their merger to create the largest airline in the world. US Airways also plans to implement extensive codeshare agreements with the other carriers in the coming weeks, providing easy access to the joint business’ combined global network.
“We at Finnair are very pleased to welcome US Airways into the transatlantic joint business, which creates even more possibilities for Finns and others in Scandinavia and the Baltic Rim to connect seamlessly to dozens of destinations in North America,” says Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. “Thanks to our participation in joint businesses with our oneworld partners, Finland has never been more accessible and open for business to global travelers. We welcome and invite all to come and discover our corner of the world.”
“Bringing US Airways into the joint business network is an important step for us as we continue to advance our collaboration with alliance partners to increase growth, market share and competition,” says American Airlines CEO Doug Parker. “Joining our entire merged company into this agreement creates a stronger and more competitive joint business, and will provide faster and easier connections for customers on hundreds of flights between North America and Europe.”
“The inclusion of US Airways will not only expand the network of our transatlantic family, it will also broaden the appeal of our services to new and existing customers who will have even more flexibility, added convenience and improved rewards when travelling between Europe and North America,” says Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive. “This expanded partnership compliments the recent inclusion of Finnair into the joint business between British Airways and Japan Airlines. It has never been a better time to plan your journey across the globe.”
FINNAIR PLC
Further information:
Finnair communications, 358 9 818 4020, comms(a)finnair.com
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NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
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