The Angolan airline TAAG and the Brazilian GOL signed today a code-share agreement to “boost passenger traffic” between Latin America, Africa, and Europe.
Passengers of both companies will enjoy new destinations.
In a statement released today, TAAG said that passenger traffic, under the agreement, should be carried out through the hubs of São Paulo/Brazil (Guarulhos Airport) and Luanda/Angola (International Airport 4 de Fevereiro).
The code-share agreement allows both companies to market tickets, including the partner’s destinations, increase network coverage, and collaborate in the sales process in a “win-win” partnership.
‘Code-share’ is an arrangement in which two or more airlines share the same flight, the same service standards, and the same ticket sales channels.
TAAG notes that the code-share scheme brings many advantages to passengers, including more fare options in their choice, purchase of a single ticket in local currency, guaranteed protection on connecting flights, ease of flight booking, baggage check-in, and baggage check-out.
GOL is the leading airline in the Brazilian market.
The Angolan state-owned operator will make its flight code available to 13 domestic destinations in Brazil operated by GOL, namely Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Salvador, Brasília, Goiânia, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Foz do Iguaçu and Natal.
The partnership also allows TAAG to sell other regional GOL destinations interline.
In return, the statement said, GOL will place its flight code on the São Paulo/Luanda/São Paulo route operated by TAAG, with the option to market other TAAG destinations such as Lisbon, Madrid, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek, Kinshasa, Ponta Negra or Maputo.
“From now on, TAAG customers wishing to fly to GOL destinations in Brazil and Latin America (via São Paulo) can purchase their ticket in kwanzas at TAAG’s usual points of sale.”
“Simultaneously, GOL customers wishing to fly to TAAG destinations in Angola, Africa, and Europe (via Luanda) can obtain their tickets on GOL’s website,” the note stresses.
According to GOL’s Vice-President of Revenue, Eduardo Bernardes, quoted in the statement, building this alliance with TAAG is expanding the destination alternatives for GOL’s customers to dozens of African cities, “offering them the opportunity to get to know such a prosperous continent.
And the president of the executive committee of TAAG, Eduardo Fairen, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership signed with the Brazilian company stating that it “will leverage tourism and the economy of our countries and strengthen the connection” between Latin America, Africa, and Europe.
TAAG has five weekly frequencies connecting São Paulo and Luanda operated by a Boeing 777-300 aircraft.
GOL is committed to “progressively add more destinations” under the code-share agreement.
With information from Lusa