Why airline alliances matter more than you think

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You might be able to recite all of the major legacy airlines by heart, but could you do the same for airline alliances? You may wonder if there’s a point to understanding which airlines are part of larger teams. (Psst… there is!)

For starters, airlines within the same alliance are far more likely to work together in order to get you to your destination. For example, you can’t fly Delta Air Lines all the way to Lyon, France. However, you can book a ticket on Delta that will get you there.

How so? Because Air France is within the same airline alliance — SkyTeam, in this case — and will happily take over in Paris or Amsterdam for the final leg of your journey.

When searching Points Path Pro for flights to Lyon, you’ll notice itineraries with Delta and Air France bundled together. That’s because booking engines (including cash, as well as points) are pre-configured to sell flight bundles from airlines within the same alliance. This makes it easier on you, as you don’t have to know which airlines are partners.

Alliances also make it possible to book a single ticket across multiple airlines using just one rewards currency, which can be especially helpful for award travelers.

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Second, airline alliances are more integrated when it comes to interline agreements. I recently flew to Manchester, England from my home airport in North Carolina. The first leg was on Delta, and it took me from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Orlando (MCO). From there, my family hopped on a Virgin Atlantic flight over to Manchester (MAN).

Unfortunately, my checked luggage didn’t make it on that second flight. Because Delta and Virgin Atlantic are partners, they were able to work together to determine where the bag was lost, and how to route it to me in England.

In moments of stress like these, you want every little thing going your way. Ensuring that you’re flying on airlines that have partnered is especially important when it’s suddenly up to the two of them to reunite you and your luggage.

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Lastly, there’s the importance of elite status. If you’re Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond on Delta, all SkyTeam partners are ready and willing to share elite-level perks on their airline as well.

In the Lyon example above, you’d eventually fly home from an airport that Delta does not fly to. However, when you check in or arrive with luggage, Air France counter agents are trained to recognize status from other SkyTeam partners. This enables them to bestow elite-level perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and seat upgrades when available.

Plus, some airlines will even dole out lounge passes for international flyers. Your miles may vary on that one, but it’s always worth asking as you’re checking your bags. Airport lounge access in the United States is exclusive, but there’s more flexibility internationally — especially if you’re traveling on a partner airline.

Knowing the alliance your airline belongs to could lead to a smoother trip the next time you fly internationally. Though we focused on Delta and SkyTeam here, the same is true with oneworld and Star Alliance.

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