Aerolíneas Argentinas to codeshare with Air France and KLM

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Aerolíneas Argentinas, one of the leading airlines in South America, signed today reciprocal code-share agreements with both Air France and KLM, two major European carriers.

With these agreements, signed today in Aerolíneas Argentinas headquarters in Buenos Aires:

Air France and KLM will offer their clients a significant number of new South American destinations operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas beyond Buenos Aires. These new destinations will include such important cities as Cordoba (Argentina), Mendoza (Argentina), Rosario (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Asuncion (Paraguay).

Aerolíneas Argentinas clients will have access to a number of new European destinations operated by Air France and KLM beyond Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol. The new destinations will include important French cities Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Bordeaux and other main European destination such as Berlin and Munich.

The carriers will also be offering reciprocal frequent flyer benefits in their loyalty programs. Over 1.5 million members of AerolineasPlus, the Aerolineas Argentinas frequent flyer programme and the 19 million AIR FRANCE-KLM Flying Blue members, will be able to earn miles and having access to award tickets on the networks of the three airlines, more than 250 destinations.

These agreements will become effective in the first quarter of 2012.

"This is an important step for the three carriers and will allow Aerolíneas to increase both the inbound tourism as well as its presence in a key market for the company as is Europe" said Mariano Recalde, president of Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Meanwhile, Erik Varwijk, Executive Vice President International & Netherlands for Air France - KLM, said: "Air France and KLM are the first two European code-share partners of Aerolíneas Argentinas. We are therefore proud of this cooperation offering our clients connections to both domestic and international South American destinations beyond Buenos Aires".

The agreements were signed within the framework of the next entry of the Argentine carrier to the SkyTeam global alliance scheduled for 2012.

Aerolíneas Argentinas, Buenos Aires | 1 November 2011