Can The U.S. Domestic Market Code-Sharing And The U.S. Foreign Airline Alliances Be Considered One?
The management of transport service provision within international airlines is a complex activity that requires cooperation among airways and connecting points. Both code sharing and airline alliances are meant to offer exemplary services in flight travel. Code sharing entails an airline placing its designator code on a flight operated by another airline, and selling tickets for that flight and is often a key feature of an airline alliance (Rowland, 2021). Both code sharing and airline alliances aim to provide exemplary services and expand network routes for flight.
The US domestic code sharing is a marketing arrangement in which states forming the federation cooperate in aviation to offer code-shared services within the federation. The US has three major airline alliances; the Sky Team, the One World alliance, and the Star Alliance being the largest. These alliances offer linked frequent flyer programs, synchronized schedules, easier airport connections, access to private lounges before and between flights among other services as stated by Hasbrouck (2020). The code sharing nations in the United States as well as the airline alliances enjoy similar benefits in the field of aviation.
However, the US domestic code sharing only applies to nations within the federation. On the other hand, the US foreign airline alliances, though centered on the founding members from the United States, allow membership for nations outside the federation as stated by Garcia (2012). The US domestic code sharing and the US foreign airline alliances, therefore, can not be considered one.
