V Australia/Virgin Blue teams up with Delta

[Anthony T]

Effective immediately

This from Virgin Blue

V AUSTRALIA AND DELTA AIR LINES SIGN INTERLINE AGREEMENT
23 March, 2009 (Sydney, Australia) – Virgin Blue’s international airline V Australia and Delta Air Lines have negotiated and signed an Australia-U.S. interline agreement offering seamless travel on the networks of each carrier and across the trans-Pacific route.
Effective immediately, the agreement allows travelers to purchase a single ticket from their Travel Agent, V Australia or Delta for travel between the U.S. and Australia on either carrier.
Delta Air Lines is the world’s largest airline and the second largest domestic US carrier. The airline operates a vast domestic network in the USA including major destinations such as New York City, Washington D.C., Orlando, Salt Lake City and Atlanta. V Australia commenced flying between Los Angeles and Sydney on 27 February, 2009. The airline will commence direct flights from Los Angeles to Brisbane on 8 April, 2009 offering a convenient service to the Sunshine State, gateway to the world famous Great Barrier Reef. The airline will also commence services from Los Angeles to Melbourne in September, 2009^.
Delta will begin daily nonstop services on the Sydney - Los Angeles route from 1 July, 2009.**

Cheers
Anthony T

[NickN]

It was always needed so they have access to each others domestic networks at each end otherwise things were going to be really tough. Good news for V Australia being a start-up airline more so than Delta.

[Anthony T]

Also VAustralia will now have morning and afternoon deps SYD-LAX.
You will be able to buy a round trip ticket SYD-LAX and go out on V Aus and return on the Delta flight.

Anthony T

[Michael Morrison]

You will be able to buy a round trip ticket SYD-LAX and go out on V Aus and return on the Delta flight.

Anthony T


But useless for each other FF members.

Ie Why would a Delta FF fly on VA when they don't earn miles etc.

Most airlines have interline agreements, so it is hardly ground breaking!

Now if it was a FF partnership or code share that would be something else!

[Steve Jones]

Is it just an interline deal? if so, big deal; Virgin has many of these. It's a bigger deal if it involves code-sharing, joint fares and FF tie-ups (ie: can I book the DL flight via the VA website etc? This would prove valuable to both airlines, but I agree more so to VA than DL.

[Matthew H]

So VAus and Delta are together. Does this mean that Virgin Blue and United are no longer together?

[Michael Morrison]

So VAus and Delta are together. Does this mean that Virgin Blue and United are no longer together?
United & Virgin blue still have their interline gareement on DJ flights.

Also worth noting Delta also have an interline agreement with Qantas - it REALLY is nothing special... Delta probably have 100 or so of these.

It basically just means they can ticket each others flights on the one ticket and through check baggage.

The through checking of baggage is probably not a huige deal anyway given you have to re collect and check yourt bags if transferring in AUS or USA