Northwest Airlines is set to lose another alliance partner in Asia, with Japan Air System (JAS) planning to sever longstanding ties after it merges with Japan Airlines (JAL).
Industry sources in Japan confirm JAS is planning to scrap the Northwest links because JAL, although not a member of the Oneworld alliance, has an extensive partnership with American Airlines covering codesharing and frequent-flyer programme (FFP) ties.
Northwest partner KLM said in August that it had severed codeshare links with JAS because of the carrier's planned merger with the larger JAL, which will be carried out on 1 October. JAL, which is effectively taking over JAS, has FFP ties with Oneworld's British Airways as well as FFP and codeshare partnerships with several other European carriers.
JAS operates limited international services of its own and focuses on domestic services. It codeshares on Northwest flights between Japan and the USA. The two have FFP ties and co-operate on connecting services.
Although its partnership with JAS has never been considered overly important to Northwest, the US carrier's presence in Asia is diminishing, with its partnership with Air China reportedly facing collapse.
Source: Flight International
