TravTalk - India

Future of Jet’s codeshares

With around 20 codeshare partners from across the world, Jet Airways had the most widespread connection across India before it cancelled operations in April. The news disturbed passengers who already had bookings on the airline directly or via codeshares.

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April 17, 2019, turned out to be a black day for Indian aviation when Jet Airways announced cancellati­on of all - tions due to a lack of funding. The airline was struggling to stay in business for a couple the plug, though temporaril­y. A statement from the airline read, “Since no emergency funding from the lenders or any other source is forthcomin­g, the airline will not be able to pay for fuel or other critical services to keep the operations going.” Currently, the airline is seeking a private investor to buy 75 per cent of the company to restart operations. “Jet Airways hopes to to bring the ‘Joy of Flying’ back to guests as soon as possible,” claimed the statement.

Jet Airways had codeshared with around 20 airlines and was connecting their passengers to different parts of the country. Now, what happens to passengers who have booked on these airlines, with Jet Airways being grounded?

Etihad

airline and a big shareholde­r, Etihad Airways pulled out of the deal with Jet Airways during the recent turmoil. On the crisis, the airline’s spokespers­on commented, “Following the announceme­nt of Jet Airways’ suspension of operations, Etihad continues to re-accommodat­e and support affected guests. Our teams are assisting guests with their travel arrangemen­ts and rebooking those affected We continue to work with Jet management, lenders and key stakeholde­rs in the context of the lender-managed effort to restructur­e the company.”

Air France

Air France came to the rescue of its passengers, saying, “At this stage, Air France and KLM still honour customers booked on Air France Airways code and holding a Jet Airways ticket.”

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, in its statement, commented, “Delta is assisting Delta customers to support their re-accommodat­ion via alternativ­e travel options. We apologise for any inconvenie­nce caused to Delta customers impacted by Jet.”

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic echoed the sentiment, saying, “As with many airlines, we operate a codeshare agreement with Jet. Any customers who have booked directly with Virgin Atlantic should check our website www. virginatla­ntic.com for the latest advice. All other customers on Jet operated them directly.”

Aeromexico

Airlines like Aeromexico also came forward with their reaction for the situation, and commented, “We are aware of the situation of Jet Airways and we are deeply sorry of what they are currently facing. Regarding our codeshare, Aeromexico is taking actions to reduce the impact on our customers. Fortunatel­y, the number of affected passengers is minimal, and we have already reached out to them. We are working to get them to their destinatio­n. We are offering them the necessary support and we are relocating of other SkyTeam partners.”

Fiji Airways

Another codeshare partner of which said that they have temporaril­y stopped codeshare bookings with

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