Delta Airlines 2008 Annual Report Download - page 8

Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements
midwest and northwest United States and Asia gives the combined company a diversified global network with a presence in every major domestic and
international market. The network is supported by a fleet of aircraft that is varied in terms of size and capabilities, giving us flexibility to adjust aircraft to the
network.
Other key characteristics of our route network include:
• our alliances with foreign airlines, including our membership in SkyTeam, a global airline alliance;
• Delta's transatlantic joint venture with Air France and NWA's transatlantic joint venture with KLM;
• our domestic alliances, including our marketing alliance with Alaska and Horizon, which we are enhancing to expand our west coast service; and
• agreements with multiple domestic regional carriers, which operate either as Delta Connection or Northwest Airlink, including our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, Comair, Inc. ("Comair"), Compass Airlines, Inc. ("Compass") and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. ("Mesaba").
International Alliances
We have bilateral and multilateral marketing alliances with foreign airlines to improve our access to international markets. These arrangements can
include codesharing, reciprocal frequent flyer program benefits, shared or reciprocal access to passenger lounges, joint promotions, common use of airport
gates and ticket counters, ticket office co-location and other marketing agreements. These alliances often present opportunities in other areas, such as airport
ground handling arrangements and aircraft maintenance insourcing.
Our international codesharing agreements enable us to market and sell seats to an expanded number of international destinations. Under international
codesharing arrangements, we and a foreign carrier each publish our respective airline designator codes on a single flight operation, thereby allowing us and
the foreign carrier to offer joint service with one aircraft, rather than operating separate services with two aircraft. These arrangements typically allow us to
sell seats on a foreign carrier's aircraft that are marketed under our designator codes and permit the foreign airline to sell seats on our aircraft that are marketed
under the foreign carrier's designator code.
Delta has international codeshare arrangements with Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM
Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air and Royal Air Maroc (and some affiliated carriers operating in conjunction with these airlines). In addition to its
transatlantic joint venture with KLM discussed below, NWA has international codeshare arrangements with Air France, Korean Air, and Malev Hungarian
Airlines.
SkyTeam. In addition to our marketing alliance agreements with individual foreign airlines, Delta and NWA are members of the SkyTeam global airline
alliance. The other full members of SkyTeam are Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM and
Korean Air. One goal of SkyTeam is to link the route networks of the member airlines, providing opportunities for increased connecting traffic while offering
enhanced customer service through mutual codesharing arrangements, reciprocal frequent flyer and lounge programs and coordinated cargo operations.
Continental has provided written notice of the termination of its membership in SkyTeam effective October 24, 2009.
In 2002, Delta, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines and Korean Air received limited antitrust immunity from the U.S. Department of
Transportation ("DOT") that enables us and our immunized partners to offer a more integrated route network and develop common sales, marketing and
discount programs for customers.
Air France and KLM Joint Ventures. In addition to being members in SkyTeam with Air France and KLM, both of which are subsidiaries of the same
holding company, Delta has a transatlantic joint venture agreement
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