British and American airlines in code sharing agreement

Accra, Oct 10, GNA - British Airways and American Airlines have entered a code sharing agreement that allows their customers to connect to more than 100 new destinations on their networks.

The arrangement took effect in September.

Under the agreement, customers of British Airways, will find it easier to book flights to US cities such as Nashville, Cincinnati, and New Orleans with additional ones from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Besides, customers of American Airlines in South Africa will now have the opportunity to fly to the US from both Cape Town and Johannesburg through London Heathrow.

Briefing Journalists in Accra, Mrs Esi Ann Sackey, Country Manager of British Airways said the US Department of Transportation gave final approval in May to the code sharing application on destinations beyond British Airways' 18 US gateway cities such as Chicago and Miami and American Airlines' UK gateways.

She said the introduction offers customers seamless flights on code-share routes and will benefit from simpler transfer and check-in processes as well as expanded benefits from frequent flyer programmes. Transatlantic sectors are not included in the current code-share and frequent flyer agreements.

Mr James Beer, of the American Airlines and Vice-President of European Middle East and African routes said the new code-share agreement creates new opportunities for the airlines' customers to travel, with great ease around the world.

"Although both airlines will not code-share on competitive flights over North Atlantic, American airlines will code-share on British Airways daily non-stop flights between JFK and Manchester. BA will do the same on American's flights from Chicago O'Hare to Manchester, Glasgow and Scotland.