Air NZ to code share with Austrian airlines group

Air New Zealand will commence a code share relationship with the Austrian Airlines Group (made up of Austrian Airlines, Lauda Air and Tyrolean) from October 26.

A code share agreement allows airlines to share airline reservation systems and the sale of seats on each other's planes.

Announcing the move today, Air NZ's senior vice president sales and distribution, Norm Thompson, said it would have reciprocal benefits for customers of both airlines.

Air New Zealand would place its code on Lauda Air's flights from Australia to Vienna via Kuala Lumpur, and Austrian Airlines' services between Vienna and London, which have daily connections to Air New Zealand's London services.

The Austrian Airlines Group will code share on selected Air New Zealand services covering Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Sydney and Melbourne.

"Air New Zealand's prime focus is to offer additional inbound services for travellers from Malaysia as well as Continental Europe," Mr Thompson said. "Having seats available with the Austrian Airlines Group offers an alternative route to and from New Zealand and places the Air New Zealand code back in the important Malaysian market."

Also, Vienna would now join Frankfurt and Munich as additional gateways to New Zealand from Europe.

Both Air New Zealand and the Austrian Airlines Group are members of the worldwide Star Alliance of airlines.

- NZPA