Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines have begun jointly selling tickets on some routes. With the merger scheduled for Dec. 17, integration efforts are gradually picking up speed.
According to the airline industry on the 4th, Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines recently began joint sales of flights on select domestic and international routes. The two companies enabled customers to search and purchase each other's tickets through their respective apps and webpages.
Previously, only Korean Air Lines and its affiliate low-cost carrier (LCC) Jin Air jointly sold tickets as domestic airlines, but purchasing Asiana Airlines flights has now become possible. Asiana Airlines will also sell Korean Air Lines flights through its own channels alongside AIR BUSAN and AIR SEOUL.
The routes jointly sold by Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines are five international routes and two domestic routes. The international routes include Incheon–Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, and Barcelona in Europe, and Incheon–Tashkent, while the domestic routes are Incheon–Busan and Daegu. The two companies said they decided to start joint sales with complementary routes, considering factors such as whether they serve the destination and their operating schedules.
Currently, only Korean Air Lines serves the Incheon–Madrid and Lisbon routes, while only Asiana Airlines serves the Incheon–Barcelona and Tashkent routes. On the Incheon–Paris route, each company operates three times a week, but there are differences in days and times. The domestic routes integrate the interline transfer flights operated by both companies.
Korean Air Lines has recently accelerated its integration work after signing a merger agreement with Asiana Airlines on the 14th of last month. The stock merger ratio was set at 1 to 0.2736432, and the plan is to complete the merger on Dec. 16 this year.
At the end of last month, the two companies conducted an emergency evacuation demonstration to obtain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for the integrated airline, and they plan to conduct a comprehensive inspection flight for the merger and acquisition within this month. Once the domestic licensing procedures are completed, they also plan to carry out necessary steps such as changing operating standards with foreign aviation authorities.
They are also consulting with relevant authorities, including the Korea Fair Trade Commission, on the mileage integration plan submitted early this year. Korean Air Lines plans to announce the plan as soon as it is finalized.