Summary
- Aer Lingus is ending its codeshare agreement with United Airlines but expanding its agreement with American Airlines, providing customers with more transatlantic flight options.
- The expanded agreement includes new destinations such as Philadelphia and Chicago, allowing passengers to book codeshare connecting travel to cities like Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Tampa.
- The closer partnership with American Airlines enhances Aer Lingus’ role in the Atlantic Joint Business partnership and provides access to more destinations, better schedule alignment, and increased frequencies for both the airline and passengers.
The flag carrier of the Republic of Ireland is reshuffling its codeshare agreements. Days after announcing it is ending its codeshare agreement with United Airlines, Aer Lingus announced it is expanding its codeshare agreement with American Airlines. The agreement covers several new destinations and allows customers to book more transatlantic flights on either carrier’s website.
Which destinations are included?
The new agreement provides increased options for transatlantic flights. It covers services from Dublin to American Airlines’ secondary transatlantic hub in Philadelphia (PHL) and the Midwest United States hub at Chicago O’Hare (ORD). The announcement follows an existing codeshare agreement announced last year on flights from Dublin to Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) in North Carolina and American Airlines’ largest hub at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) in Texas.
In the United States, passengers flying with Aer Lingus can now book codeshare connecting travel with American Airlines to destinations such as Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ), Nashville, Tennessee (BNA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS), Kansas City (MCI), Portland, Oregon (PDX) San Jose, California (SJC), Tampa, Florida (TPA) and Tucson, Arizona (TUS).
Photo: Aer Lingus
American Airlines passengers can presently connect to various destinations across Ireland via Dublin with the existing arrangement.
Boosting the joint venture
The announcement marks a closer partnership between Aer Lingus’ arrangement and American Airlines and complements the airline’s role in the broader Atlantic Joint Business partnership. The joint venture includes American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair, all part of the oneworld alliance. Aer Lingus left the alliance in 2007 but remains a subsidiary of IAG, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Aer Lingus joined the Atlantic Joint Business in 2020 and confirmed today that the arrangement has benefited both the airline and passengers by allowing access to more destinations, better schedule alignment, and increased frequencies.
The announcement comes shortly after Aer Lingus revealed it is ending its partnership with United Airlines. The arrangement was notable for allowing passengers to credit frequent flyer miles on competing alliances by crediting miles from United flights to Aer Lingus’ program and then transferring the Avios to British Airways or other IAG carriers.
A boost for North American connections.
The updated agreement comes as American Airlines is significantly expanding its network. The carrier revealed 50 new routes so far this year, including a significant transatlantic expansion from Philidelphia. Aer Lingus is also focusing heavily on increasing its transatlantic capacity. The airline will operate 19 transatlantic routes in 2024 from Dublin and Shannon in addition to its transatlantic routes from Manchester in the North of England to North America and the Caribbean.
The Irish carrier announced earlier this autumn that it is introducing several new transatlantic routes in 2024. The airline will debut a brand new route from Dublin to Denver, Colorado (DEN), following the launch of direct flights to Cleveland, Ohio (CLE).
Photo: Aer Lingus
Returning for the first time since the pandemic will be a link to Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP), joining the resumption of flights to Hartford, Connecticut (BLD).
