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Related Newslog Items 21 July 2010 The U.S. Department of Transportation made final its approval for antitrust immunity among oneworld partners. American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia now can implement a transatlantic joint venture and join oneworld members Finnair and Royal Jordanian in tighter alliance partnerships. Like the European Commission, DOT set conditions on approval, notably the transfer of slots at London Heathrow to competitors for new transatlantic services.
14 July 2010 The European Commission accepted "remedies" proposed by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia for their planned transatlantic joint venture. Concessions offered by the airlines and accepted by EC include surrendering slots at London Heathrow or London Gatwick airports for flights to Boston, New York, Dallas and Miami; making available slots at New York JFK for services to London; and combining fares, offering connections and linking loyalty programs with other airlines. "We have analyzed these commitments, we have consulted other players in the market and we have concluded that the remedies the airlines have introduced will secure for passengers the benefits of the alliance together with the prospect of additional services provided by other operators," according EC vice president responsible for competition policy Joaquín Almunia. The U.S. Department of Transportation tentatively approved the proposed antitrust-immunized JV. Final approval is expected soon. 8 June 2010 The oneworld alliance formally invited India's Kingfisher Airlines to join. Oneworld members expect Kingfisher to begin full participation within 18 to 24 months. Oneworld founder British Airways reached a bilateral codeshare deal with Kingfisher, with "implementation later this month," according to BA CEO Willie Walsh. 26 May 2010 Flight Centre Limited recently acquired "the remaining 44 percent" of corporate travel agency FCm India and "doubled" its corporate travel operations in Singapore through a "small acquisition," according to a statement. The Australian travel company noted that "the global business travel market has started to recover, but has not yet returned to pre-global financial crisis levels," and added that corporate business in the United States "is again trading profitably." 26 May 2010 CWT announced that it has been selected by Swedish telecom firm Ericsson to handle travel management in 30 countries. Ericcson, which already used Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Germany, Ireland, Italy and the United States, now also will use the company in Brazil, Canada, India, the Middle East and Sweden where, according to CWT, Ericcson has "the country's largest managed travel program." 16 April 2010 Southwest Airlines told WestJet that its plans to end a deal intended to offer connecting service between the United States and Canada. Southwest cited a WestJet request for "significant changes to the agreement," signed in 2008. A Reuters report last month quoted a WestJet spokesman suggesting the carrier would partner with Delta Air Lines. 16 April 2010 China Eastern Airlines intends to join the SkyTeam alliance "by mid-2011."2 April 2010 American Airlines, British Airways and three other oneworld allies will accept U.S. regulators' conditions for antitrust immunity. Though the carriers told the U.S. Department of Transportation that they object to slot divestures required for approval, they nonetheless asked DOT to finalize the tentative decision "as quickly as possible." During a public comment period that closed this week, Virgin Atlantic again requested "a wider spectrum of remedies" to help maintain balanced competition, including "checks" on British Airways' "considerable market power over corporate customers." 31 March 2010 "Delta may be first" to partner with Canada's WestJet, according to a WestJet spokesman quoted by Reuters. WestJet in 2008 announced a cooperative program--but not a codeshare deal--with the oneworld alliance to offer Canadian companies "special rates." In 2009, WestJet said it would focus resources on an interline deal and eventual codeshare pact with Delta partner Air France-KLM as it delayed a planned codeshare alliance with Southwest Airlines. 22 March 2010 Egencia announced partnerships in Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico and Slovakia. New travel management company partners include Business Travel Unlimited in Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia; Brazil's Tour House; Corporate Travel Services in Mexico; Japan's Hankyu Travel; and Mitra Malaysia in Malaysia. Egencia in December 2009 named several other TMC partners for the
Egencia Global Alliance.
16 March 2010 ANA and Continental Airlines on 28 March will begin sharing codes on transpacific and beyond-hub services. The partners will cross-sell ANA's Tokyo-U.S. flights and certain domestic Japan flights, and Continental flights between Houston and Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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