SkyTeam Hosts Corporate Accounts in Athens and Travel Agents in Thessaloniki

Roland Weil, regional director of sales for Delta Air Lines, during the dinner held for corporate accounts. The addition of three new SkyTeam members later this year will place the alliance on the top of the list concerning total scheduled air traffic.

SkyTeam airline representatives here in Greece arranged two workshops last month – one for major corporate accounts within the Athens area and one for up-market travel agents in Thessaloniki. During both events, representatives of the member airlines explained the many advantages of the alliance. They also unveiled SkyTeam’s newest slogan: “working together to bring you seamless world travel.”

Together, these airlines – Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta and Korean Air -execute more flights than any other alliance in Greece with 123 scheduled weekly flights to and from Athens and Thessaloniki – a total international traffic share of 13.7% in 2003.

Nikos Bolias, Alitalia’s sales manager for Greece, gives a quick rundown on the airline, and reminded that all SkyTeam customers have one-step access to SkyTeam schedules and services through a travel agent’s GDS with one unique code.

Globally, the airlines in this alliance fly to around 500 destinations in 110 countries and are concentrated in the most competitive markets where nearly 80% of airline travelers want to fly. The alliance, founded in 2000, offers 7,698 daily flights for a global traffic share of 12% in 2003 and carried some 212 million passengers. The alliance’s network grows continuously. This summer, 13 new destinations will be added from Paris, Prague and Atlanta. As well, each member airline will increase frequencies to a number of existing destinations so as to better fulfill needs of travel agency clients.

Antonis Rossolatos, Air France’s sales manager for Greece, focused on Air France and the advantages of the alliance. He also mentioned that a number of new flights would be added this summer and that 13 new destinations will be added from airports in Paris, Prague and Atlanta.

For the moment, alliance customers have the use of 1,135 airport and ticket offices worldwide and the expertise of some 182,000 employees. In all, some 54 million members enjoy the benefits dedicated to SkyTeam frequent flyers, which include the use of 336 SkyTeam lounges around the world.

All SkyTeam customers have one-step access to SkyTeam schedules and services through a travel agent’s GDS with one unique code.

Three new partners are planned to join the alliance this year (KLM, Northwest, Continental) which will offer even more benefits and make SkyTeam one of the world’s two leading alliances – SkyTeam will have 21% of all world scheduled air traffic along with Star Alliance, which also has 21%.