AIR France is the second
SkyTeam alliance member
to partner with kulula.
com following the
implementation of a
codeshare agreement
with Kenya Airways earlier
this year, marking the
start of what could be an
interchangeable network
with SkyTeam partners
throughout the alliance.
This is according to Erik
Venter, Comair ceo, who
spoke at the launch of the
Air France-kulula codeshare
partnership on October
2. Partnering with other
international carriers is
something kulula would be
looking at for the future.
Air France will add its
code to kulula’s domestic
route network, allowing
customers to seamlessly
connect to and from Cape
Town, Durban, George and
East London by purchasing
a single Air France ticket,
with the convenience of
one-stop check-in and
baggage transfer.
Erik said it would take
a while to get all the
technology systems and
policies aligned but that
the airline had already
entered into talks with
other SkyTeam members to
extend its service offering.
It made sense to have
interchangeability with all
SkyTeam members, Erik
said. “So if you want
to fly Delta from Atlanta
to Durban, you can fly all
the way through and fly
SkyTeam all the way back
again.”
These new partnerships
would not conflict with
Comair’s arrangement with
big brother, British Airways,
Erik said. “BA has no real
say about what happens
in operations at all. BA
branding and franchising
for Comair will continue
as usual; from a kulula
perspective, we can pretty
much do what we want to.
“There have been kulula
initiatives in the past that
have not fully aligned with
BA’s own strategy. It’s two
different businesses and
both businesses have to do
the best they can,” he said.
The big opportunity was
to make the kulula product
available throughout Europe,
Erik said, which would
be beneficial in creating
a distribution footprint
internationally. “Hopefully,
we’ll see a lot more take-up
of the product in Europe as
well as seeing a bigger Air
France network in Africa.”
As part of the partnership,
premium Air France
customers will have access
to the SLOW lounges in the
domestic terminals at OR
Tambo International, Cape
Town International and
King Shaka International
airports.
Discussions are under way
to include the Flying Blue
frequent flyer programme,
which would allow members
of the programme to accrue
and redeem miles on the
codeshare flights.
Bookings will open for sale
at a later date, pending the
South African Department
of Transport’s regulatory
approval.
Air France KLM will
operate 24 flights to
Johannesburg this South
African summer.
