Continental Airlines and TAP Air Portugal sign codeshare agreement

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.”