China Southern Airlines will maintain codeshare arrangements with most SkyTeam members even after leaving the alliance next year.
“Through bilateral cooperation, the company will continue to maintain codeshare partnerships with its existing SkyTeam partners and frequent flyer cooperation will be continued with Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Airlines,” the carrier says in a stock exchange disclosure.
It adds that it has completed the transition for withdrawing from SkyTeam and will officially leave on 1 January 2020.
This covers 14 of 19 SkyTeam carriers and the other members are Aeromexico, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, Tarom.
“In addition to its SkyTeam airline partners, the company has accelerated the expansion of its global ‘circle of friends’ by establishing bilateral codeshare partnership with American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways,” says China Southern.
It will also launch a new loyalty scheme to ensure continuity from SkyTeam’s. On this front, it has cooperated with American Airlines since March and a partnership with British Airways will go live in June.
“These long-standing airline relationships push forward the company’s global network, through which passengers can travel to all major destinations around the world when flying with the company and its partners.”
