ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico this week announced a new partnership, which the airlines say will increase benefits for fliers.
“Aeromexico has been a strong partner for Delta in Mexico and Latin America, and this reinforces our relationship,” Delta Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said in a statement. “By forming an exclusive long-term commercial partnership, we will leverage the strengths of our two networks to provide expanded customer benefits and build the foundation for a joint venture to better serve the U.S. and Mexico marketplace.”
According to the official news release:
Along with the current agreement that offers customers reciprocal access to airport lounges as well as the ability to accrue and redeem flight awards, customers will enjoy soon-to-be-available benefits from the deepened alliance between Delta and Aeromexico, including:
- Network-wide codesharing to include all Delta and Aeromexico flights between the U.S. and Mexico as well as flights within the carriers’ domestic networks and to other key international destinations;
- A coordinated sales team that offers joint contracting to corporate customers allowing enhanced access to the combined networks;
- Expedited call handling for Elite customers through a new, integrated process; and
- The ability for Elite customers to reserve preferred seating via the carriers’ reservations centers.
Future benefits of the enhanced alliance will include:
- Co-located airport facilities for easier connections and check-in; and
- The ability to select preferred seat assignments, process upgrades and redeem Award Tickets online.
The carriers will leverage the extended, long-term commercial agreement to exchange, within legal limits, best practices across operations, marketing and sales.
“The expanded agreement with Delta will undoubtedly allow us to solidify the commercial alliance we have been building together for several years now,” Aeromexico Chief Executive Officer Andres Conesa said in a news release. “We will work with Delta to offer more options for our customers, including greater access to Delta’s global network.”
Delta said it would invest $65 million in the partnership.