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Continental Airlines and TAP Air Portugal today signed a cooperative
marketing agreement that includes codesharing on selected flights, reciprocal frequent flyer program participation and reciprocal airport
lounge access.
Subject to government approval, TAP and Continental will start
codesharing in September 2003. Continental will codeshare on TAP-operated flights between Lisbon and up to 18 cities in Europe and
Africa, including the Portuguese destinations of Faro, Funchal and Oporto
and African destinations such as Maputo, Mozambique and Sal, Cape Verde Islands. TAP will codeshare on Continental-operated flights between
Continental’s New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and 51
cities in the U.S. and Canada. These flights will display the designator
codes of both Continental (CO) and TAP (TP) and will be marketed by both
carriers.
Effective with the commencement of codesharing, members of
Continental’s frequent flyer program, OnePass, will be able to earn and
redeem miles on TAP’s European, African and Central and South American
flights and members of TAP’s frequent flyer program, Navigator, will be
able to earn and redeem rewards on Continental’s U.S., Canadian, Latin
American and Asian flights.
Continental and TAP have also agreed to provide their passengers with
access to each other’s airport lounges. Continental’s BusinessFirst
customers and Presidents Club members will have access to TAP’s Navigator Lounge at Lisbon, while TAP’s Navigator Class customers and
Navigator FFP members will have access to Continental’s Presidents Club
lounges at New York/Newark.
“This new partnership is straight in line with TAP Air Portugal’s principle of
consistently providing additional benefits to our customers,” said Manoel
Torres, TAP Air Portugal's Senior Vice President - Airlines. “Through
Continental's recognized superior service we will be able to offer a broad
scope of destinations within North America. We are very proud to have Continental as our partner.”
“We are tremendously enthusiastic about signing this agreement with TAP
Air Portugal,” said David Grizzle, Continental’s Senior Vice President of
Corporate Development. “We continuously look for alliance partners who
have unique route networks that provide new benefits to Continental customers, and we look forward to working with TAP to deliver these
benefits to our respective customers.” |
