Air India to expand code share partnerships

Mumbai: Air India will begin discussions with Star Alliance member-airlines, including United, Air Canada and Lufthansa, for code shares on domestic and international routes. Last week, the Star Alliance board had decided to commence Air India’s integration into the 28-member alliance.
A code share is a marketing agreement between two airlines that helps enhance an airline’s revenue. It allows an airline to put its code on a flight operated by a partner airline and sell tickets on routes on which it does not have operations. With Air India joining the Star Alliance, the carrier’s frequent flyer programme will be integrated with other Star Alliance members’ loyalty programmes, an attractive option for business travellers. “We will be talking to Air Canada, United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and other airlines for code shares. These discussions will happen concurrently, along with the integration process. We would like to code share with Air Canada because we have stopped our flights to Canada,” said an Air India official.
Read news in full 19/12/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard