Northwest Airlines and KLM to launch industry's first trans-Atlantic alliance "interline" electronic ticketing service

Northwest Airlines and KLM today announced plans to launch the airline industry's first trans-Atlantic alliance "interline" electronic ticketing service.

Northwest and KLM will introduce the service during the first half of June 2003, enabling customers with itineraries involving travel on both Northwest and KLM to use a single e-ticket.

Northwest-KLM e-ticketing will allow customers to use a single e-ticket issued by Northwest or KLM for itineraries throughout most of its global networks, and on its entire network by the end of the year. Previously, customers were required to obtain a separate e-ticket for each carrier or obtain a paper ticket.

Customers holding e-tickets will be able to check-in electronically at the network of Northwest/KLM kiosks in June, with subsequent availability on each airline's website.

The announcement follows Northwest's interline e-ticket expansion with other current alliance partners, including Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, as well as future alliance partner Delta Air Lines.

"The e-ticketing alliance with Northwest Airlines is in line with achieving our goal to further simplify and speed up check-in procedures at airports," said Bart Vos, KLM vice president e-business and services. "Furthermore, it will generate substantial cost savings for KLM and Northwest Airlines and will allow our passengers to travel more quickly and efficiently."

"While interline e-ticketing between Northwest and KLM will offer customers conveniences that no other trans-Atlantic alliance can, it also allows Northwest and KLM to offer travelers a number of self-service conveniences," said Al Lenza, vice president of distribution and e-commerce at Northwest. "Northwest and KLM customers will be able to check-in, change seats, add frequent flyer information or quickly perform many of the other transactions easily at nwa.com or our e-service centers."

E-ticket usage sets new records at Northwest, KLM in March In March 2003, Northwest established a new company record when 89.7 percent of its domestic customers used electronic tickets. During the same month, 82.4 percent of the tickets used by its customers worldwide were electronic, which also established a new company record. At KLM, which introduced e-ticketing in the Netherlands in April 2002, 20 percent of tickets issued in the United Kingdom on KLM were electronic, and KLM is seeing similar increasing trends the Netherlands, its home market.

KLM introduced  e-ticketing in the Netherlands in April 2002. KLM aims to ensure that by the end of fiscal 2003/2004, e-tickets will account for 15% of all KLM tickets issued worldwide.

E tickets enable other time-saving services at Northwest and KLM Northwest and KLM's interline e-ticketing service will make it possible for even more travelers to enjoy the convenience of self-service check-in for their flights over the Internet at nwa.com, or through one of Northwest or KLM's self-service check-in centers.

Customers holding e-tickets will be able to check-in electronically at the network of Northwest/KLM kiosks in June.

Northwest's e-service centers are available in 145 airports throughout the U.S. and Canada, more than any other airline in the world. Already, nearly half of Northwest customers holding e-tickets choose self-service check-in, and at some locations, such as Minneapolis/St. Paul, 72 percent of Northwest's customers checked themselves into their flights electronically.