Air France/Northwest to expand Detroit-Paris codeshare pact

Done right, codeshare agreements can exponentially expand the traveler’s ability to make connections easily. They are at the heart of the airline alliances that dominate international travel today.

Now, there is word that Northwest Airlines and Air France intend to expand their codeshare cooperation between the former’s Detroit Metro (DTW) hub and the latter’s hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). The desired result is that customers could get 13 weekly flights between the two airports instead of six.

Air France passengers would be able to travel between Paris and Detroit on flights operated by Northwest and sold under the “AF” code and Northwest fliers will be able to travel on Air France-operated flights between the two cities.

Plans are for the deal to go further, eventually encompassing connections to United States destinations served by Northwest over Detroit, and Air France cities served by that carrier out of Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Both Northwest and Air France are members of the globe-girdling SkyTeam alliance.

A caveat to all this: as this piece goes live, Northwest flight attendants are threatening to strike (perhaps as early as August 25). If an appeal by Northwest to courts to stop the walkout doesn’t succeed, and flight attendants do indeed strike, the carrier’s future could be imperiled.

Northwest is already operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler