Spanair and aegean enter into a strategic code share alliance

Barcelona / Athens, 28th March 2011. Starting 28th March, Spanair and Aegean will be operating code share flights from Barcelona and Madrid to Athens. This will enable both companies, members of Star Alliance, the world's biggest airline alliance, to strengthen their commercial positions on the Spanish and Greek markets.  

From now on, our passengers will benefit from the numerous connections operated by both airlines as well as from Spanair and Aegean’s Premium services.  

Aegean will be operating a daily flight from both Barcelona and Madrid to Athens, site of the airline’s hub, offering connections with numerous destinations throughout Greece thanks to its extensive network of routes. In addition, between July and September it will be extending the number of connections to ten a week, as its will be operating a second daily flight from both Barcelona and Madrid on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  

Spanair will guarantee fast and easy connections with Malaga, Bilbao, A Coruña, Seville and Palma de Mallorca from Barcelona’s El Prat Airport. From Madrid Barajas, the airline will operate connections with Bilbao, A Coruña and Tenerife-Norte. In all cases, passengers can check in their luggage to the final destination.

With this latest alliance, Spanair and Aegean are offering their passengers an ever-wider choice of routes and frequencies, greater comfort and convenience and more Premium benefits, plus the chance to earn and redeem miles and points. In addition, Business Class passengers and GOLD cardholders are entitled to use our VIP lounges in the corresponding airports.

“Our alliance with Aegean is another step forward in our strategy to connect Barcelona airport with an ever-increasing number of international and intercontinental destinations, and our determination to offer our passengers an increasing choice of routes and frequencies", explained Mike Szucs, Spanair's CEO.  

About Spanair: In just two years, following its acquisition by a group of Catalonian businessmen, the company has given a major impulse to Barcelona Airport, setting up its connections hub and opening up a total of 17 new European and African destinations. Today Spanair, together with Star Alliance, offers more destinations from Barcelona than any other company, a total of 68. In 2010 it was the fastest growing airline in terms of passenger numbers of the top 10 companies operating in Barcelona’s airport.  

About Aegean: Aegean Airlines carried 6.23 million passengers in 2010. Since June 30, 2010 it has been a member of the world’s strongest airline alliance, STAR ALLIANCE. In its 12 year history, Aegean has received six awards from the European Regions Airline Association (ERA). Furthermore, the company has received numerous awards from Athens International Airport as its greatest contributor to the increase in passenger traffic. Finally, the company has been honoured with the Skytrax World Airline award, as the best European regional airline for 2009. AEGEAN will operate 35 international and 24 domestic routes during the IATA 2011 summer season, without taking into account a significant number of international destinations served by 6 aircraft on charter operations.