American and Alaska Airlines Eyeing Expanded Partnership
American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are reportedly exploring an expanded partnership that would bring Alaska into American’s massive international joint ventures. The news was reported by Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter.
This move would allow the two carriers to coordinate schedules and share revenue on routes across the Atlantic and Pacific, effectively treating their operations as a single entity alongside global partners like British Airways and Japan Airlines.
For American, it is an opportunity to strengthen its West Coast footprint, while Alaska gains a significant foothold in long-haul international traffic following its recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.
However, the proposal is expected to face regulatory scrutiny. After the Department of Justice successfully blocked previous domestic alliances, the airlines must prove that this international expansion fosters global competition rather than stifling it.
Alaska Airlines and American Airlines currently share a multi-layered partnership, primarily through their West Coast International Alliance and mutual membership in the oneworld alliance. For now, talks of the expanded partnership remain preliminary, and both airlines have declined to comment on a specific timeline for a formal proposal.
