United, ANA join forces By Russ Lynch
Star-BulletinUnited Airlines, the biggest mainland-Hawaii carrier, and All-Nippon Airways, Japan's second-largest airline, said today they will form a major marketing and code-sharing alliance for Asia-Pacific-U.S. aviation.
Details won't be announced until after a formal signing April 21. Still, both sides said there could be benefits to Hawaii, even though the main thrust is a larger international cooperation.
"It is conceptual at this stage," said Norm Reeder, United managing director-Hawaii, "but we're excited about it because it does create a major partner for United in important Asia and Pacific markets."
Reeder said the two sides need to define what routes will be involved when code-sharing starts in October and what kind of marketing cooperation and schedule coordination can be developed. But he said Hawaii can benefit from anything that boosts Japan-U.S. travel.
Tom Fredo, North American public relations manager for ANA, said it is possible that there could be some cooperation in Japan-Hawaii services this year.
The business agreement between United and ANA would allow each airline to ticket passengers all the way to their final destinations, regardless of what legs of the trip may be flown aboard the other airline's planes.
United called it a one-stop check-in. Schedules will be coordinated to reduce waiting time and frequent-flier plans will be shared.
ANA said in Tokyo it also will sign a similar agreement with German carrier Lufthansa covering Europe-Asia routes. United already has a U.S.-Europe partnership with Lufthansa.
Fredo said ANA is still interested in more Hawaii flights of its own, too, and would like to service Tokyo-Honolulu and Osaka-Honolulu.
The airline also has its eye on Kona, he said.
The new U.S.-Japan aviation agreement, to be signed this month, will allow that, Fredo said. "It gives us the right to begin any services we want between Japan and the U.S.," he said.
American Airlines and Japan Airlines two weeks ago signed a deal similar to the one United is putting together with ANA.
