Virgin And Delta Plan Joint Venture

[`X']

DJ & Delta

From a Travel Daily Bulletin

Joint venture plans for Virgin Blue and Delta Air Lines

Virgin Blue has just announced plans to form a joint venture with Delta Air Lines which would allow both carriers to collaborate on route planning, codesharing, frequent flyer programs and lounge access.

The carriers said they plan to seek regulatory approval for the move which will expand their respective reach between the US and Australia and the South Pacific.

"Together, Delta and the Virgin Blue Airlines Group will be a stronger and more effective competitor by offering consumers greater choice of destinations, frequencies and schedules, all on leading-edge aircraft," said Delta executive vice president for network and revenue management, Glen Hauenstein.

"For Delta, this agreement is a significant milestone in the expansion of our global network in the Australia and South Pacific region," he added.

DJ ceo Brett Godfrey said the move would offer travellers many new benefits and possibilities, while "the alliance of two new entrant operators will ensure that vital competition is sustained on the trans-Pacific route."

The statement said that in advance of the JV the carriers are moving forward to implement codesharing, frequent flyer program reciprocity and lounge exchange privileges, with Delta and Virgin Blue to file antitrust immunity applications with the US Department of Transportation and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today.

This is good news for me!! Im booked to the US with Northwest in September.. Hopefully it comes soon!

 

[drron]

DJ and Sky Team?

This looks interesting-
Virgin Blue, Delta plan joint venture

"
The planned agreement will allow Delta and Virgin's long-haul carrier, V Australia, to schedule flights throughout the day rather than have their aircraft leaving destinations at the same time.
As well as route scheduling, the proposal includes codesharing on their respective networks and extending frequent flyer program benefits and lounge access."
Now this might tempt me.Wait to see the details though.

 

[777]

Very interesting development. Particularly keen to hear more about the lounge and FF reciprocity. What do they have in mind?

You'd also have to wonder whether at some point VA and Delta will need to set up their own lounges at SYD, BNE and MEL international terminals. With all the pacific island and trans-pacific traffic that will be travelling via those routes and some point it starts to make sense.

 

[ANstar]

With all the pacific island and trans-pacific traffic that will be travelling via those routes and some point it starts to make sense.

True but Pac Blue still seems to be run as a LCC... they don't have priority check in (except for the VH rego flights)....

A loiunge at SYD would eb could and could be used by DJ, VA, DL, VS.

 

[777]

A loiunge at SYD would eb could and could be used by DJ, VA, DL, VS.

At some point the case for all those airlines having a lounge between them gets pretty compelling. VA use the MH lounge for transpac flights. What do delta or Virgin Atlaintic do? To the best of my knowledge there's nothing in Brisbane and nothing lined up for Melbourne for VA yet either.

 

[777]

The full details of the applicaiton are here:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspubl...9ed725&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf

very interesting - although a fair chunk is redacted.