TAM in late April inked a codeshare agreement with Star Alliance member TAP Portugal, giving Star a much-needed presence in Brazil.
Star has been without an airline member in Latin America since Varig's withdrawal early this year. The TAM-TAP codeshare includes some behind and beyond gateway flights, reciprocal frequent flyer recognition, and the prospect of rationalising duplicate flights.
Whether this accord will move TAM toward Star membership remains uncertain. Until now TAM's closest allies have been SkyTeam member Air France and oneworld member American Airlines.
Underscoring its independence, TAM inked in early May a commercial alliance with oneworld member LAN. The agreement includes the launch of codeshares between Lan Group carriers in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina and TAM in Brazil and Paraguay.
Source: Airline Business
