KS452

PARIS (AP) -- Air France has acquired control of KLM Royal Dutch, the two carriers announced Tuesday, cementing their agreed merger that would create the world's largest airline company.

full story:

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...MPLATE=DEFAULT

francophile03

The merger of KLM and Air France, hopefully this will be a good thing for us?

martytravels

And when all of the SkyTeam partners come on board, it will essentially mean that Air France-KLM-Delta-Northwest-Continental will be one big airline....
Air France and KLM will continue operating as separate airlines for several years, though.

hopingtotravel

Am hoping this means Air France will then be an Alaska Air partner. I also hope it doesn't mean they raise prices from US to France under the guise of less competition.

Vincent

From June 1 2004 there will be an actual merger of timetables (for instance, AF will abandon its Manila flight to KLM and vice-versa for Caracas), and FF programs. There will be 15 flights a day between CDG and Schipol to make the two hubs connected. From 2005, there will be a single FF program, name, and card, with all the partners of the current Flying Dutchman and Fréquence Plus programs. So for our Americans friends, it means that Alaska, Continental, Northwest and Delta will be part of the same alliance. Too good to be true?

rkkwan

Bigger and more powerful alliances mean more and better connection choices to smaller cities in Europe. However, it also means reduced competition and therefore higher ticket prices.

You will see more Delta flights from their hubs to Amsterdam, and more CO/NW flights to Paris eventually. For example, I live in Houston and is loyal CO flier. Right now, to get to most European cities, my only choice is to fly through Amsterdam. Nothing wrong with that, but in the future, Paris will be another point of transfer.