What is an airline joint venture?
A deeper partnership in which airlines coordinate schedules and fares on a set of routes and share the revenue, beyond an alliance.
Airline joint venture, explained
In a joint venture, partner airlines plan flights together and sell each other's seats as if they were one airline on those routes. Across the Atlantic, American Airlines and British Airways work this way, as do Delta with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic, and United with Lufthansa.
For travelers, it means one fare can combine the partners' flights, frequent flyer benefits carry across, and more departure times are available for the same ticket.
The seat and service are still those of the airline operating each flight.
On a business class trip
A business class ticket from Chicago to Rome can fly out on United and come back on Lufthansa on one fare, because the airlines sell those routes together.
Related terms
- Airline alliance
A group of airlines that share networks, lounges and loyalty benefits: Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam.
- Codeshare flight
A flight sold under the flight number of more than one airline. One airline flies the plane; the others sell seats on it.
- Interline agreement
An agreement between airlines to carry each other's passengers and bags on one ticket, even outside an alliance.
Further reading: Chicago to Rome in business class. Every term in the glossary.
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