Skift Take
New interlining technology is helping airlines simplify how they partner with other airlines and grow direct bookings.
Travelers are increasingly creating their own flight itineraries. They are creatively combining flights from different carriers — or self-connecting — to get the best value possible and reach destinations with fewer connections. Approximately 70 million passengers worldwide self-connected in 2018, an increase of 27 percent compared to 2017, according to research from consultancy firm ICF Next. This is equivalent to about 10 percent of all transfer passengers worldwide.
“Airlines have long helped each other sell tickets, using pragmatic arrangements called interline agreements and strategic marketing deals called codeshares,” said Sean O’Neill, travel tech editor for Skift. In a codeshare agreement, which is basically a marketing agreement, one airline operates the flight and other airlines are allowed to sell seats on the same flight under a different flight number. This kind of partnership increases complexity in operations, especially when it comes to settling revenue and accounts after a trip is completed.
An interline agreement allows a customer to book an itinerary in which each leg of the journey is being operated by a diff
