American Airlines launches codeshare with TAM Airlines
American Airlines has launched a new codeshare agreement with Sao Paulo-based TAM Airlines, increasing American’s network connectivity in Brazil and further enhancing its relationship with LATAM Airlines Group. Customers can begin booking tickets on codeshare flights today for travel starting August 22.
Through the agreement, the two airlines will codeshare on each other’s flights between the United States and Brazil. American’s customers will also have access to TAM flights from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo to eight additional destinations throughout Brazil, including Fortaleza, Natal and Vitoria, and TAM’s customers will also have access to American flights from Miami, New York and Orlando, Fla., to 25 cities in the U.S., including Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
The improved access provided through the relationship will also complement American’s new Brazilian service to Curitiba (CWB) and Porto Alegre (POA) from Miami, pending government approval, and Sao Paulo (GRU) from Los Angeles, all of which will be available for booking Aug. 18. The new service from Miami to Curitiba and Porto Alegre will launch Nov. 21 and the service from Los Angeles to Sao Paulo will launch Dec. 16. With the additional routes, American will serve nine destinations in Brazil, further demonstrating its commitment to provide customers with expanded options through a growing network footprint in Latin America.
“Thanks to this codeshare agreement with TAM, we are better able to respond to the increasing customer demand for travel between the U.S. and Brazil,” said Kurt Stache, American’s Vice President – Strategic Alliances. “This new access to TAM’s network significantly enhances American’s footprint in Brazil and represents an important stepping stone in building an even stronger strategic partnership with LATAM.”
“To have American Airlines as a partner is a great achievement,” said Marco Antonio Bologna, CEO of TAM S.A. “With this agreement, we are expanding the network of destinations to one of the markets with the most demand from our passengers. Whether traveling for business or leisure, customers will now have access to the broad American network in the United States with the purchase of a single ticket. In addition, passengers from the U.S. will be able to discover more destinations in Brazil, while enjoying our top quality service.”
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Additionally, members of the American Airlines AAdvantage® program will be able to earn miles on flights operated by TAM and will be able to redeem miles later this year, providing another valuable benefit of the relationship.
TAM, which plans to join the oneworld® alliance in 2014, is a member of the LATAM Airlines Group. LATAM operates nearly 1,500 daily flights to 144 destinations in 27 countries.