- December 2008
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Supplier News
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Delta to expand international routes in 2009
Last month Delta Air Lines, the world’s largest airline, announced it is adding 15 new international routes for summer 2009. This includes service to 12 destinations not flown by any other U.S. carrier. The long-haul expansion will focus on three regions: Trans-Pacific, Africa, and Europe/Middle East. (For a complete list of routes, their effective dates, type of aircraft, and frequency, see Delta Website.)
Delta also announced an expanded marketing alliance with Seattle-based Alaska Air Group to help feed passengers to the new international routes. Together, Delta and Alaska Air will offer customers connecting service to more than 50 destinations to-and-from Los Angeles, more than 70 destinations to-and-from Seattle, more than 30 destinations to-and-from Portland, and 20 destinations to-and-from San Francisco.
Sources: Seattle Times, Delta.com
Southwest expands travel geography
Southwest Airlines, through a planned partnership with Mexican airline Volaris, intends to begin providing travel to Mexico beginning in 2010*. While details of fares and schedules are not yet defined, specifics are said to be ready in early 2010. In combination with a similar agreement with WestJet previously announced to service Canada, Southwest is venturing into international itineraries. Future growth plans tentatively include partnerships to expand flight offerings to Hawaii and the Caribbean, with Europe and Asia further down the road.
*Certain details of the codeshare and elements of the partnership are subject to approvals by both the U.S. and Mexican governments.
Sources: Baltimore Sun, Seattle Times
