Continental, KLM and Northwest Join the SkyTeam Alliance
13 Septiembre 2004 - 10:31AM
PR Newswire (US)
Continental, KLM and Northwest Join the SkyTeam Alliance Solidifies
Position as a Leading Global Alliance NEW YORK, Sept. 13
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global travelers will have additional
route and fare choices as SkyTeam today announced that Continental
Airlines (NYSE:CAL), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Northwest
Airlines (NASDAQ:NWAC) are now full members of one of the world's
fastest growing airline alliances. The SkyTeam Governing Board also
revealed that effective Sept. 15, passengers will be able to accrue
and redeem frequent flyer miles interchangeably on any of the nine
member airlines. With the addition of three new members, SkyTeam
now serves 341 million passengers with 14,320 daily departures to
658 global destinations in more than 130 countries. SkyTeam's
Governing Board said, "The entry of Continental, KLM and Northwest
into the alliance marks the single largest airline integration in
aviation history and is an important milestone for global airline
customers. When the alliance launched in 2000, we promised SkyTeam
would alter the competitive landscape for airline alliances by
focusing on the needs of our customers. Our growth over the past
four years in terms of network reach, frequencies and destinations
is a testament to our commitment to continually live up to that
promise." Growing the Network The three new carriers add to
SkyTeam's extensive network of hubs and destination cities,
allowing member airlines to provide their passengers more travel
options. Together, the three new members add ten additional hub
locations and 141 new destinations to the alliance's roster,
strengthening SkyTeam's reach in all key travel regions: -- In
Asia-Pacific, Northwest's hub at Tokyo's Narita airport and
Continental's Guam hub will join Korean Air's Seoul-Incheon hub as
SkyTeam's major hubs in the region, linking passengers to 11 new
destinations in five countries. SkyTeam's Asia offerings now
include Northwest's new service from Portland, Oregon to
Tokyo-Narita and service from Detroit to Guangzhou, China,
scheduled to begin in late October. In addition, Continental begins
new service between Honolulu and Nagoya, Japan in December. Thanks
to combined network and fares, Air France (NYSE:AKH) and KLM are
able to offer unparalleled service between Europe and Asia. -- In
Europe, with four European carriers, including Europe's first pan-
European airline group, SkyTeam will now offer passengers more
choice on transatlantic routes. With Air France, Alitalia, CSA
Czech Airlines and KLM, SkyTeam has hubs and strong market
positions in all European regions and a very extensive intra
European network. -- In the Americas, with Aeromexico and Delta Air
Lines (NYSE:DAL), the addition of Continental and Northwest will
further open up service to and from Canada, Latin America and the
Caribbean, adding cities such as Quebec, Quito and Aguadilla
(Puerto Rico) to SkyTeam's network. Continental's extensive
transatlantic network serving 19 destinations will also provide
SkyTeam customers with additional service options from its
international gateways in Houston and Newark/New York. Northwest's
Detroit and Minneapolis hubs provide additional travel options for
European customers bound for Midwest cities. -- In Africa, KLM's
strong network will allow alliance passengers to access key cities
such as Cape Town (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Kano
(Nigeria) and Nairobi (Kenya). Underscoring the Customer Focus In
addition to more travel options, SkyTeam member airlines will
provide customers greater recognition in terms of frequent flyer
mileage accrual and redemption possibilities, all with consistent,
high quality service. Effective Sept. 15, 2004, passengers
traveling with any of the nine member airlines can earn miles
towards SkyTeam Elite status and redeem miles on any of the nine
airline members. This means that customers can accrue valuable
frequent flyer miles quicker than before. On the ground, SkyTeam
Elite Plus passengers have access to an additional 62
state-of-the-art airport lounges with amenities to make travel
easier - bringing the total number of airport lounges to more than
390. For example, Northwest's WorldClubs at Detroit,
Minneapolis/St. Paul and Tokyo and all of Continental's Presidents
Club locations feature wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access and
computer battery charging ports. And Northwest's WorldClubs at
Detroit and Tokyo have showers to provide a truly refreshing break
for busy global travelers. In addition, passengers will continue to
experience the existing SkyTeam customer benefits, including a
single check-in for connecting flights and baggage. Gordon Bethune,
Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines, said, "Around the world,
today's air travelers demand reliability, flexibility and high-
quality service. We know from our previous dealings with them that
the SkyTeam members are world-beaters by all these measures, and
we're proud to be part of a global alliance that shares our focus
on the customer." "SkyTeam is not only benefiting the passengers,
but also the cargo customers", said Leo van Wijk, CEO and president
of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. "SkyTeam Cargo, with Aeromexico, Air
France, Alitalia, CSA, Delta, KLM and Korean, offers the largest
global cargo network for its customers. SkyTeam Cargo operates a
worldwide system of more than 500 destinations in 110 countries and
provides a consistent standard of performance, quality and
service." "We look forward to providing our customers with even
greater access to the world through SkyTeam," said Richard
Anderson, CEO of Northwest Airlines. "In turn, Continental, KLM and
Northwest will provide the consistent, quality service SkyTeam
passengers have come to expect." Alliances in a Changing Industry
SkyTeam carriers are able to provide their customers with
additional services and benefits because of their alliance
membership. At the same time, the member carriers also benefit from
a business perspective by maximizing efficiencies and exploring
synergies with partner carriers. Speaking on behalf of the founding
members, Jean-Cyril Spinetta, CEO of Air France and chairman of Air
France-KLM, said, "In an ever transforming industry, alliance
membership is a necessity, allowing airlines to work together and
navigate change. As illustrated today, SkyTeam continues to drive
innovation in the industry as it welcomes two airlines from the US
and incorporates Europe's leading airline group, Air France-KLM."
Each of the new members have long been recognized as among the top
airlines in the world: -- Continental serves 265 airports in 47
countries with a fleet of 358 aircraft. With 41,000 employees, the
carrier enplaned 52.2 million passengers in 2003. -- KLM serves
over 130 airports in 65 countries with a fleet of 112 aircraft. The
airline employs more than 29,600 people and carried 19 million
passengers in IATA year 2003-2004. -- Northwest is the world's
fifth largest airline with hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam. Northwest serves 222 cities. With a
fleet of 458 aircraft, the airline employs some 39,000 people and
carried 52.1 million passengers in 2003. SkyTeam is the global
airline alliance partnering Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia,
Continental Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines. Through
one of the world's most extensive hub networks, SkyTeam offers its
341 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than
14,000 daily flights covering all major destinations. Visit SkyTeam
on the Web at http://www.skyteam.com/ . DATASOURCE: SkyTeam
CONTACT: SkyTeam Communications, +1-646-935-4161 Web site:
http://www.delta.com/ http://www.skyteam.com/
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