 | SkyTeam HeadlinesSkyTeam NewsFlash — December 2004SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest, sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers. SkyTeam NewsFlash issued monthly, enables the alliance to keep key media fully up-to-date with its most recent developments. Please read on for this month's update of SkyTeam activities. Ticket of the Future According to IATA, paper ticketing will be a thing of the past by the end of 2007. Electronic ticketing or e-ticketing, is the wave of the future and the alliance recognizes the benefits and conveniences it brings customers. SkyTeam is investing in specific technological developments to streamline its IT platform to ensure the electronic transfer is simple and easy for our customers. Currently, several carriers have interline e-ticketing agreements that offer customers the flexibility to check-in using kiosks, where available, change itineraries and more when they are traveling on more than one carrier within the same itinerary. SkyTeam is on track to implement interline e-ticketing across all carriers by the end of 2005.
The move toward alliance-wide interline e-ticketing provides a significant time savings for passengers and further cost savings for SkyTeam alliance members. Winter Schedules Take Effect Following a significant increase in passenger traffic in November, SkyTeam members are anticipating continued travel demand as winter schedules have taken effect. Combined, member airlines will offer more than 45 additional weekly frequencies and service to several new destinations this travel season, including Maldives. As part of its winter schedule, CSA Czech Airlines will launch new service to both Glasgow and London-Gatwick, now providing Eastern European passengers with access to all seven major airports in the British Isles through its Prague hub. In addition, the airline will begin a route between Prague and Maldives, a country that was recently ranked number two on the World Travel and Tourism Council's (WTTC) 2004 International Human Tourism Index. The group of atolls in the Indian Ocean is a popular destination for European leisure travelers. This winter also marks a new step in the history of air transport with the coordination of the dual Air France - KLM network, which enables the two SkyTeam members to reinforce the alliance global network. Air France and KLM world services are organized around two of Europe's largest and most efficient hubs, Paris-CDG and Amsterdam-Schiphol, from which 225 destinations are served. Alitalia is adding several flights from its Milan-Malpensa and Rome-Fiumicino hubs to destinations in North Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. Of special note, the airline is launching flights between Malpensa and Shanghai. In addition, Korean Air has expanded its daily service between Incheon and Taipei, Taiwan effective 1 December. Continental has also expanded its network. Beginning 21 December, the airline will offer daily service between Nagoya (Japan) and Honolulu. The added frequencies and new service launches further illustrate the alliance's expansion over the past year. Tips for Holiday Travel In an effort to make traveling as smooth as possible, SkyTeam offers passengers several services and a step-by-step guide to help travelers to reach their final destinations.
Whether travelers are headed home or to any of the alliance's 658 destinations worldwide, SkyTeam offers services that make holiday travel pleasant and more efficient. For more information about SkyTeam, please visit www.skyteam.com, or call SkyTeam Communications at 646-935-4161 (in the United States). |   |
