American Airlines & Philippine Airlines Launch Partnership

American Airlines and Philippine Airlines have just announced a new codeshare partnership. This is exciting on the surface, since American doesn’t often launch new partnerships. However, the execution here leaves a bit to be desired, and there’s no indication of things getting more interesting.

New American Airlines & Philippine Airlines codeshare details

American Airlines and Philippine Airlines have launched a new partnership, whereby the airlines are placing their “code” on select flights operated by the other airline. For the time being, the routes covered by this are very limited:

• American Airlines will place its “AA” code on Philippine Airlines flights from Tokyo to Manila or Cebu, and Philippine Airlines flights from Honolulu and Guam to Manila
• Philippine Airlines will place its “PR” code on American Airlines flights from Los Angeles to seven US cities, comprised of Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, and Washington

American AAdvantage members can earn miles and Loyalty Points for travel on Philippine Airlines, but only when flights are booked as a codeshare directly with American.

If you’re coming from the US mainland, you couldn’t benefit from this by flying any of Philippine Airlines’ nonstop flights from the mainland to Manila, but rather only by flying American to Tokyo, and then on the same ticket connecting to Manila or Cebu. Alternatively, you could fly to Honolulu first on American, and then connect to Manila.

The execution here leaves a lot to be desired

Different airlines take different approaches to setting up partnerships. For example, Air Canada Aeroplan does what it can to add airline partners, even if the airlines don’t otherwise have very close commercial relationships. The idea is that Aeroplan members benefit from the ability to earn and redeem points for more flights, and that’s good for members.

American, meanwhile, seems heavily focused on its three joint ventures (one across the Atlantic, one across the North Pacific, and one across the South Pacific), and then has reciprocal opportunities with select other strategic partners.

But this partnership truly has very limited implications:

• There are no reciprocal award redemption opportunities, and earning opportunities are limited to codeshare flights on the above routes
• I can understand the logic of the Guam and Honolulu to Manila codeshare, as well as the Tokyo to Cebu codeshare, but the Tokyo to Manila codeshare has limited value, since American’s joint venture partner Japan Airlines also operates that route

It sure would be nice if American threw us a bone and at least offered award redemptions. Then again, Aer Lingus has now been part of the oneworld transatlantic joint venture for a couple of years now, and the two airlines still don’t have reciprocal award redemptions.

Bottom line

American Airlines and Philippine Airlines have launched a new codeshare partnership, covering a very limited number of routes. The airlines now have a commercial agreement covering four Philippine Airlines routes and seven American Airlines routes, allowing travelers to book tickets including flights on both airlines.

While I’d love to see a closer partnership between the two airlines, the implications of the current planned cooperation are very limited.

What do you make of the new American Airlines and Philippine Airlines partnership?