TAM Concludes 30 Business Agreements and has 64 Airline Partners Abroad
January 30 2008 - 8:18AM
PR Newswire (US)
Partnerships make it possible to offer connections to a variety of
destinations worldwide at competitive prices SAO PAULO, Brazil,
Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM (Bovespa: TAMM4 and NYSE:
TAM) concluded 30 SPA (Special Prorate Agreement) business
agreements in 2007, and in doing so, now maintains SPA partnerships
with 64 international airlines operating in practically every
country in South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, Asia and Oceania. Partnerships of this kind make it
possible for TAM to offer its customers the convenience of
purchasing one single airline ticket with the Company and flying
from Brazil to diverse destinations throughout the world, at prices
that are more competitive than the passenger would obtain if
purchasing each ticket separately. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO ) These
partnerships make it possible for passengers to make connections to
a variety of international destinations, from direct flights and
daily flights currently operated by TAM to South America (Buenos
Aires, Cordoba, Caracas, Santiago, Asuncion, Ciudad del Este and
Montevideo), the United States (Miami and New York) and Europe
(Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris). Using these services,
TAM passengers can reach major cities such as Doha in Qatar, Dubai
in the United Arab Emirates, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Beijing
and Hong Kong in the Far East. Among the 64 international airlines
with which TAM has SPA agreements are: LAN Alliance, Copa,
Aeropostal and TACA in South America; Aeromexico and Mexicana in
Mexico; United Airlines, US Airways, American Airlines, Delta and
Continental in the USA; Air France, TAP, Lufthansa, Alitalia,
British Airways, British Middland, KLM, Iberia, Swiss, SAS,
Austrian, Finnair and Lot Polish in Europe; Emirates, Qatar,
Etihad, Middle East and El Al in the Middle East; Air China,
Asiana, China Eastern, China Southern, Japan Airlines, All Nippon
Airways, Korean, Malaysian, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines
in Asia; Qantas in Oceania; and South African in Africa. SPA
partnerships are only possible because TAM maintains MITA
(Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreement) traffic agreements with
nearly 130 international airlines that are IATA (International Air
Transport Association) members. These agreements make it possible
for the Company to provide greater coverage of its international
network and offer more options to its customers, since in such
cases the traveler can also purchase a ticket directly from TAM for
several segments and fly with a number of different airlines to any
destination worldwide. Interline Electronic Tickets - TAM has also
concluded agreements with 17 international companies for the
establishment of the Interline Electronic Ticket (IET). With the
implementation of these agreements, TAM can issue electronic
tickets (e-tkts) that are accepted by Air Canada, Aeromexico, Air
France, American Airlines, British Airways, Copa, Jal, KLM, Lan
Chile, Lan Peru, Lan Argentina, Lan Ecuador, Mexicana, Swiss, TAP
and TAM Mercosur, while electronic tickets issued by these
companies are also accepted at TAM check-in counters. Until the end
of the first six months of the year, the Company intends to set up
this system with an additional 30 international companies, offering
passengers the convenience of having a single electronic ticket
issued for all phases of a trip involving flights operated by TAM
and an international partner. It also provides greater security for
the passenger, who needs only to present identification and the
ticket number at check-in time to request a boarding pass covering
each stage of the trip. Advantages of code share - In further
efforts to offer its passengers more comfortable and convenient
services, TAM has entered into strategic code share partnerships
(operational agreements for sharing of flights) with international
companies that are leaders in their home markets, providing greater
integration among respective air travel networks and making it
possible to offer passengers more options for scheduling flights,
in addition to ensuring more convenient connections in Brazil and
abroad. It also makes it possible to offer passengers the
advantages of frequent flyer programs of partner airlines and
individualized service, with direct baggage transfer through to the
final destination. At present, TAM has code-share agreements with
Air France and TAP, with the companies of the LAN Alliance (Lan
Chile, Lan Argentina and Lan Peru) and with United Airlines.
Recently, it signed a code share agreement with Lufthansa, with the
prospect of implementing this type of strategic partnership this
year. Investor Relations: Press Agency Contact: Phone: (55) (11)
5582-9715 Phone: (55) (11) 5582-8167 Fax: (55) (11) 5582-8149 Fax:
(55) (11) 5582-8155 http://www.tam.com.br/ir MVL Comunicacao Phone:
(55) (11) 3594-0302 / 0304 / 0305 About TAM: TAM Linhas Aereas
(http://www.tam.com.br/) has been domestic market leader since July
of 2003, and closed the month of December 2007 with a 48.6% market
share. The company flies to 47 destinations in Brazil. With
commercial agreements signed with regional companies, it reaches 81
different destinations nationwide. TAM's market share among
Brazilian companies operating international airlines was 70% in
December. Operations abroad include direct flights to eleven
destinations: New York and Miami (USA), Paris (France), London
(England), Milan (Italy), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain),
Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Caracas (Venezuela) and
Montevideo (Uruguay). With TAM Mercosur, it also serves Asuncion
and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Cordoba (Argentina), Santa Cruz de
la Sierra and Cochabamba (Bolivia), among other South American
cities. It has code-share agreements with international companies,
allowing for the sharing of seats on flights with international
companies, enabling passengers to travel to 62 other destinations
in the USA, South America and Europe. A pioneer in Brazil's airline
industry with the launch of its Programa Fidelidade frequent flyer
program, TAM today has more than 4.3 million members and has issued
more than 5 million tickets redeemed with frequent flyer points.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO
DATASOURCE: TAM CONTACT: Libano Miranda Barroso, TAM Investor
Relations, +011-55-11-5582-9715, fax, +011-55-11-5582-8149, Web
site: http://www.tam.com.br/
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