Alaska Air to form codeshare deal with Japan Airlines

Alaska Air 737

(Reuters) Alaska Air Group Inc (ALK.N) on Tuesday announced plans for a codeshare agreement and a frequent flier partnership with Japan Airlines Co Ltd .

Industry experts have said Alaska Air has become an attractive partner to Asian airlines looking for extra revenue from connecting passengers to flights within the United States, after it agreed to buy Virgin America Inc  for $2.6 billion in April.

Code share flights allow carriers to jointly market a route, allowing them to expand their network and help fill their planes.

The codeshare agreement between Alaska Air and Japan Airlines will take effect on June 29 pending government approval, Alaska Air said.

Reuters