American Airlines and China Southern Airlines are taking steps to strengthen their partnership with a significant expansion of codeshare cooperation and the launch of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access.
“We are very pleased with the progress we have made so far in our newly formed relationship with the largest airline in Asia,” said Robert Isom, President of American Airlines. “We look forward to building on our successes with a significant expansion of our codeshare cooperation and the addition of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access. With the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019, and the ability to cooperate fully with China Southern, we are incredibly excited about American’s future in the Chinese market.”
“We are delighted to see our partnership with American Airlines being further strengthened,” said Zhang Lin, Assistant President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited. “The advanced cooperation between China Southern and American will help both of us extend networks and meet passenger demands through sharing resources. Our cooperation is market- and passenger-oriented, founded on a win-win relationship. It corresponds to the need for frequent and intimate exchange between China and the U.S. and is in line with our value proposition of customer first. Our partnership with American is an important move in China Southern’s initiative to build new international relationships.”
American and China Southern’s reciprocal codeshare, which launched in January, gives American’s customers better access to interior China and China Southern’s customers better access to the U.S. Pending regulatory approvals, the carriers will expand the codeshare in early 2019 as follows:
American expansion on China Southern:
- In addition to the 14 cities currently served beyond Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), American will place its AA* code on flights to additional cities from PEK and introduce codeshare service beyond Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).
- From PEK:
- Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC)
- Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport (KWE)
- Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
- Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK)
- Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX)
- From PVG:
- SYX
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
- Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (SHE)
- Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX)
- Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX)
- Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC)
- Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB)
- Changchun Longjia International Airport (CGQ)
- Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO)
- From PEK:
- With this expansion, American will have its AA* code on flights operated by China Southern to 20 cities in China beyond PEK and PVG.
China Southern expansion on American:
- In addition to the six cities in the U.S. currently served by China Southern on American, China Southern will place its CZ* code on additional flights beyond Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
- From LAX:
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (HNL)
- McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS)
- San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Tucson International Airport (TUS)
- From SFO:
- LAX
- JFK
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- From JFK:
- LAX
- BOS
- MCO
- MIA
- DFW
- Raleigh/Durham International Airport (RDU)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix (PHX)
- From LAX:
- With this expansion, China Southern will have its CZ* code on flights operated by American to 21 cities in the U.S. beyond LAX, SFO and JFK.
Long-haul codeshare
- American and China Southern will also begin codesharing on each other’s trans-Pacific flights between the U.S. and China.
- American will place its AA* code on the following China Southern flights:
- From LAX:
- CAN
- SHE (service starts December 2018)
- From SFO:
- CAN
- Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH)
- From JFK:
- CAN
- From LAX:
- China Southern will place its CZ* code on the following American flights:
- From DFW:
- PEK
- PVG
- From LAX:
- PEK
- PVG
- From DFW:
American and China Southern will also launch reciprocal frequent flyer benefits early next year, giving customers the ability to earn and redeem miles on the other carrier’s flights. American Airlines AAdvantage® members will be able to earn and redeem miles throughout China Southern’s network of more than 3,000 daily flights to 224 destinations in 40 countries and regions. China Southern Sky Pearl Club members will have the ability to earn and redeem miles throughout American’s network of 6,700 daily flights to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.
Additionally, American and China Southern will begin offering reciprocal lounge access next year. Eligible American Airlines customers will have access to selected China Southern Sky Pearl Lounges throughout Asia and eligible China Southern customers will have access to selected American Airlines lounges around the world.
The new codeshare routes will be available for sale in due course with the first day of travel expected in early 2019. The reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access will also take effect early next year.
