SAO PAULO, Brazil, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM (NYSE: TAM and Bovespa: TAMM4) announces today its entry into the Star Alliance, the largest global alliance in commercial aviation, currently made up of 21 of the world's largest airlines and three regional companies that jointly operate more than 18,100 flights daily.
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"This is a very important step forward for TAM since through our alliance membership we will gain further international brand recognition," said Captain David Barioni Neto, CEO of TAM. "Joining Star Alliance will further bolster our ongoing quest for Service Excellence, Technical and Operational Excellence and Excellence in Management, which are the three pillars of our strategy."
The Chief Executive Board (CEB) of Star Alliance unanimously voted to accept TAM -- South America's largest airline and a leader in the domestic and international market among Brazilian companies -- as a future member of the alliance.
"Thanks to TAM, Latin America will no longer be a white spot but rather a hot spot on our world map," said Jaan Albrecht, CEO of the organization, during the official announcement today. "We are very proud to have TAM as a future member; their decision to join Star Alliance clearly reflects the ongoing importance of alliances today," continued Albrecht.
TAM already has codeshare agreements with Lufthansa, TAP and United, all Star Alliance members, and has just signed an agreement with Air Canada, also part of the global alliance. Once the Brazilian company completes the integration process, the Star Alliance route network will expand to more than 1,000 destinations in 170 countries, offering more than 20,000 daily departures. This will further solidify Star Alliance's leadership among world alliances.
After the initial announcement, the integration process will commence. Experts from TAM, from its mentor in the alliance, United, and from the Star Alliance, will team up to ensure the Brazilian company meets the requirements for association. These include, for example, compatibility with StarNet -- the Star Alliance's IT backbone -- common guidelines for dealing with passengers and the accumulation and redemption of loyalty program points.
Once TAM becomes a full-fledged member of the global alliance, it will share products and services in the 1,000 airports and 170 countries in which the organization operates. The list includes baggage check-in to the final destination, easier connections and the convenience of more than 800 VIP lounges.
Another benefit for clients will be the integration of all the Star Alliance member companies' frequent flier programs, which will make accumulating points easier, provide more redemption options and give priority to service and boarding.
"TAM passengers are set to experience a whole new world of Star Alliance customer benefits, while the alliance customers can look forward to both an ideal network in Brazil and Latin America and excellent service on board and on the ground," Albrecht emphasized.
For Paulo Castello Branco, TAM's Commercial and Planning Vice-President, this is another of the company's initiatives to meet its commitment to its clients. "Our passengers will have at their disposal a more comprehensive air network with better connectivity, which means more destinations offered by TAM in partnership with companies in the alliance," he explained.
About the Star Alliance
The Star Alliance was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience. Star Alliance was voted the Best Airline Alliance by Business Traveler Magazine in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and by Skytrax, one of the world's leading business travel research companies, in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The members are Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, Egyptair, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, United and US Airways. Air India, Continental Airlines and TAM were announced as future members. Carriers Adria Airways (Slovenia), Blue1 (Finland) and Croatia Airlines form the regional members of the Star Alliance global network. The Star Alliance network offers more than 18,100 flights daily to 975 destinations in 162 countries.
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