Continental Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Announce Marketing Initiative

Strategic Insights -

Continental Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are taking a significant step towards building a strategic global alliance with their joint marketing initiative. The two airlines aim to offer their customers convenient connections and additional destinations through their hubs in Houston, Newark, and Amsterdam. By partnering, they will enable passengers to check in and collect their baggage at one airport, while also allowing reciprocal access to airport lounges and reciprocal frequent flyer program participation. The initiative is expected to be fully implemented by the second quarter of 2000, pending government approval.

Key Takeaways:

  • Continental Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding to implement a joint marketing initiative by the second quarter of 2000.
  • The partnership will enable customers to check in and collect their baggage at one airport, and will allow reciprocal access to airport lounges.
  • Members of Continental's OnePass and KLM's Flying Dutchman frequent flyer programs will be able to earn and redeem miles and/or points on each other's global route networks.
  • The two airlines plan to provide reciprocal airport lounge access and to implement through check-in of passengers and baggage.
  • The joint marketing initiative is expected to benefit customers by offering convenient connections and additional destinations.
  • Continental Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have a well-developed alliance, with KLM also being part of the KLM-Alitalia Passenger Venture, which is the largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried.
  • The two airlines have been selected as co-winners of the Air Transport World Magazine "Airline of the Year" award in 1997, and KLM has been judged the "Best Managed Major Airline" by Aviation Week & Space Technology in 1998.
  • Continental Airlines is the fifth largest airline in the US, offering more than 2,100 departures daily to 129 domestic and 85 international destinations.

Statistics:

  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has a global route network serving over 500 cities in nearly 100 countries on six continents.
  • Continental Airlines operates more than 2,100 departures daily to 129 domestic and 85 international destinations.
  • Continental Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines plan to implement codesharing on selected routes, pending government approval.
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is nominated for the award 'European Airline of the Millennium' by the Institute of Transport Management (ITM).

Sources:

  • Continental Airlines Corporate Communications, Houston Tel: +1 713 324 5080
  • Continental Corporate Communications, London Tel: +44 (0)1293 827 459
  • M2 Communications LTD
  • KLM Media Relations, Amstelveen Tel: +31 20 649 45 45
  • Air Transport World Magazine
  • Aviation Week & Space Technology
  • Fortune Magazine
  • Institute of Transport Management (ITM)
  • International Air Transport Association (IATA)