Jetstar announces commercial agreements* with American Airlines

Delivering enhanced customer access and travellers from the United States across Jetstar's growing Australian and New Zealand flight networks (JQ), the now operable interline and ticket settlement agreement builds on Jetstar's growing base of 14 established interline airline partners that include Qantas, Air France/KLM, Etihad, Japan Airlines and Air Calin.

On Jetstar's New Zealand domestic network a future American Airlines code* will be placed on Jetstar domestic NZ services between Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown across five routes totaling up to 116 weekly return flights.

The Jetstar-American Airlines codeshare agreement* for New Zealand domestic services represents the low fare carrier's third code share agreement - and a first with a US based carrier - alongside existing arrangements with Qantas and Japan Airlines.

Jetstar Group Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan, who jointly made the announcement with American Airlines in Auckland, said the benefit of such international carrier relationships was in providing seamless booking opportunities for customers. This will also greatly assist the tourism industry in New Zealand with a stronger offering in the important US market.

"Our proposed codeshare* agreement with American Airlines will enable its customers to combine travel on Jetstar, American Airlines and other codeshare carriers such as Qantas as part of a single booking," Mr Buchanan said.

"The US is both Australia and New Zealand's third largest international tourism market in terms of visitor arrivals, and worth more than NZ$530 million to the NZ economy alone each year.

"It is through such innovative arrangements that deliver real ways to grow this market even further and demonstrate our strong long term commitment to the New Zealand tourism industry."

Both commercial arrangements* will allow a combination of Qantas services via Los Angeles-Auckland, (which also holds an American Airlines code) and onwards throughout New Zealand with Jetstar.

Jetstar Chief Commercial Officer David Koczkar said the future codeshare* agreement will significantly benefit customers such as Raytheon Polar Services Company from the US to their major operations in Antarctica, via New Zealand.

American Airlines Head of Sales Australia & NZ Michael Fletcher said: "We're very pleased to announce our partnership with Jetstar, a fully-owned subsidiary of our oneworld partner Qantas, which has established itself as a world leading low-fares airline for Australian, New Zealand and Asian leisure travelers. This relationship will add significant value for our customers travelling throughout New Zealand."

Jetstar remains ticketless for non-interline transactions through the GDS, while interline itineraries are e-ticketed on the stock of Jetstar's interline partners.