ATLANTA and CALGARY, Alberta, July
19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL)
and WestJet (TSX: WJA) have signed a definitive agreement to create
a comprehensive transborder joint venture arrangement that will
offer customers an extensive route network within the U.S. and
Canada.
"Delta's future is global and together with WestJet, we can
augment the two airlines' capabilities and bring together our
strengths in this important trans-border market," said Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO. "Combined, we
will be able to offer more destinations to customers with an
integrated network, superior airline products, improved airport
connections and significantly enhanced frequent flyer
benefits. The JV will provide an unmatched passenger
experience for customers travelling between the U.S. and
Canada."
"WestJet continues its drive toward becoming a global airline,
and the signing of this agreement marks a major milestone in that
journey," said Ed Sims, WestJet
President and CEO. "Working together with Delta, the premier U.S.
carrier, we are looking forward to providing enhanced offerings and
more choice for guests. The joint venture will allow us to maximize
our existing partnership with Delta to benefit customers by
bringing greater competition to the trans-border market."
The agreement deepens the existing codeshare partnership between
the carriers and follows the signing of a memorandum of
understanding in December 2017
announcing the intention to form a joint venture. The joint venture
will provide substantial reach into Canada and the U.S. with transborder service
to more than 30 cities covering over 95 per cent of
U.S.-Canada demand, providing
customers of both airlines with more travel choices than ever
before. The new JV will also enable Delta and WestJet to compete
more effectively against other carriers.
Upon receipt of regulatory approvals in Canada and the U.S., Delta and WestJet will
work together to implement all aspects of the enhanced cooperation
including expanded codesharing, more closely aligned frequent flyer
program and reciprocal elite benefits, joint growth across their
U.S./Canada transborder network,
and co-location at key hubs with more seamless passenger and
baggage transit. The agreement will also include the ability to
cooperate on cargo accompanying passenger flights as well as
corporate contracts.
Delta has a strong track record of partnering with airlines
around the globe, in Europe,
Latin America, Asia, Australia and now Canada. These joint ventures connect
complementary networks, allowing the carriers to expand service
options, add more convenient connections, and provide a more
seamless customer experience than would otherwise have been
possible.
As WestJet continues its global transformation, its airline
partners connect the growing WestJet network to an extensive list
of international destinations. WestJet has one of the youngest
fleets in the airline industry and continues to provide
award-winning guest experience, recently being named Canada's Best Airline by TripAdvisor and
North America's Best Low-Cost
Airline 2018 by Skytrax.
Further information about Delta Air Lines and WestJet is
available at delta.com and westjet.com.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180
million customers each year. In 2018, Delta was named to Fortune's
top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most
admired airline for the seventh time in eight years. Additionally,
Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline
survey for an unprecedented seven consecutive years. With an
industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection
carriers offer service to 324 destinations in 57 countries on six
continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000
employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800
aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global
alliance and participates in the industry's leading
transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia
as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its
worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than
15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including
Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los
Angeles, Mexico City,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK
and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, São Paulo, Seattle, Seoul, and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub and Facebook.com/delta.
About WestJet
Together with WestJet's regional
airline, WestJet Encore, WestJet offers scheduled service to more
than 100 destinations in North
America, Central America,
the Caribbean and Europe and to more than 175 destinations in
over 20 countries through its airline partnerships. WestJet
Vacations offers affordable, flexible vacations to more than 60
destinations and the choice of more than 800 hotels, resorts,
condos and villas. Members of the WestJet Rewards program
earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more.
Members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of flights and
vacations packages to any WestJet destination with no blackout
periods, and have access to Member Exclusive fares offering deals
to WestJet destinations throughout our network and those of our
partner airlines.
WestJet is proud to be recognized as Best Airline in
Canada and Travellers' Choice
winner – North America for 2017
and 2018 in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice awards for Airlines.
The airline was also named the Travellers' Choice Winner – Economy,
North America, 2018. All awards
are based on authentic reviews from the travelling public on
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site.
WestJet is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)
under the symbol WJA. For more information about everything
WestJet, please visit westjet.com.
Recent recognition includes:
2018/2017 Best Airline in Canada
and Travellers' Choice Winner Mid-Sized and Low Cost Airlines –
North America (TripAdvisor
Travellers' Choice awards for Airlines)
2018 Travellers' Choice Winner – Economy, North America (TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice
awards for Airlines)
2018/2017/2016 Canada's Most
Trusted Airline (Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria)
2016 Canada's most reputable
company for Corporate Social Responsibility (Reputation
Institute)
2016/2015/2014/2013/2012 Ranked top three for Canadian Brands
(Canadian Business Magazine)
2016/2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in
Canada (MoneySense magazine)
Connect with WestJet on Facebook at
facebook.com/westjet
Follow WestJet on Twitter at
twitter.com/westjet
Subscribe to WestJet on
YouTube at youtube.com/westjet
Follow WestJet on
Instagram instagram.com/westjet
Read the WestJet blog at blog.westjet.com
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines