The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Delta will terminate its interline agreement with Airtran. The two airlines, who both maintain a hub at Atlanta, have had an agreement since 2001. Interline agreements usually cover the transfer of baggage in between carriers, as well as allowing each carrier to ticket flights on the other. Less commonly noticed aspects include prenegotiated rates for employee travel and for involuntary reroutes of passengers.
Delta claims it is reviewing its interline agreements with about 200 carriers for interline eticketing capability. Most of the ones they cancelled, ten in the past month, are overseas carriers. The International Air Travel Association(IATA), has set the goal of going ticketless within the next year, thus eliminating the requirement for paper tickets for interline.
While this will affect the ability of Airtran and Delta to route delayed passengers on each other’s flights, for the passenger, the biggest change will be the inability to route baggage, as the fares themselves could be purchased as separate tickets with each carrier.
Bear in mind this important lesson…if you purchase tickets with two carriers and intend to connect, do not assume they will check your luggage through to the second carrier. Call to find out. One thing to remember, Jetblue and Southwest do not interline with anyone…excepting Southwest with ATA, which it bailed out not long ago.