Businessweek

Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and internationally. The company’s route network is centered around a system of hub and international gateway airports that it operates in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York - LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Tokyo-Narita. International Alliances The company has bilateral and multilateral marketing alliances with foreign airlines to improve its access to international markets. These arrangements include reciprocal codesharing and frequent flyer program participation and airport lounge access arrangements, and might also include joint sales and marketing coordination, co-location of airport facilities, and other commercial cooperation arrangements. These alliances also have opportunities in other areas, such as airport ground handling arrangements and aircraft maintenance insourcing. The company has international codeshare arrangements with various international carriers, such as Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, Aeroflot, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Olympic Air, VRG Linhas Aereas (operating as GOL), Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia, and WestJet (and affiliated carriers operating in conjunction with some of these airlines). In addition to the company’s marketing alliance agreements with individual foreign airlines, it is a member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. The other members of SkyTeam are Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Tarom, Vietnam Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines. In addition to being members in SkyTeam, the company operates a transatlantic joint venture with Air France and KLM, both of which are subsidiaries of the same holding company, and Alitalia, which covers routes between North America and Europe. In December 2012, in connection with entering into an agreement for the purchase by the company from Singapore Airlines of a 49% equity stake in Virgin Atlantic Limited, the company and Virgin Atlantic Airways entered into a joint venture agreement with respect to operations on non-stop routes between the United Kingdom and North America. The company and Virgin Atlantic would file an application with the United States (U.S.) Department of Transportation for the U.S. antitrust immunity with respect to the joint venture. In November 2012, following the grant of the U.S. antitrust immunity by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the receipt of required regulatory approvals from the Australian and New Zealand authorities, the company and Virgin Australia implemented its joint venture covering operations on certain transpacific routes between North America and the South Pacific. The company has separate agreements with Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V., the parent company of Aeromexico, and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, S.A, the parent company of GOL, for a strategic equity investment in each company and a commercial relationship with each company's affiliated air carrier. The agreements provide for expansion of reciprocal codesharing and frequent flyer program participation, airport lounge access arrangements, improved passenger connections, and joint sales cooperation. In addition to its commercial cooperation arrangements for passenger service with Aeromexico, the company and Aeromexico have established a joint venture relating to an engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operation that would be located in Queretaro, Mexico. Domestic Alliances The company has entered into a marketing alliance with Alaska Airlines, which includes reciprocal codesharing and frequent flyer and airport lounge access arrangements. Its alliance agreement with Alaska Airlines provides for cooperation with respect to its west coast presence. The company also has reciprocal codesharing and frequent flyer and ai