TAM, TAP to Begin Codeshare Flights between Brazil and Portugal in September

Brazilian airline TAM and TAP Portugal, member of the Star Alliance, will initiate an operating agreement on September 1 for codeshare flights. The partnership will make it possible to offer several options for direct flights between Brazil and Portugal, which are already on sale in the TAM reservations system under code JJ.

The agreement links together the TAM Fidelity program and the TAP Victory program, allowing customers of both companies to accumulate and use points for any flight by either one.

Through the agreement, TAM passengers can purchase tickets for TAP flights between Brazil and Portugal leaving Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Sao Paulo for Lisbon and Porto, with the possibility of connecting flights to the Portuguese cities of Faro, Funchal and Porto Santo.

In addition to ensuring more convenient connections in Brazil and Portugal with the synergy of the two airline networks, the alliance between TAM and TAP offers individualized services, such as direct transfer of baggage to the final destination, and reserved seats in advance.

TAM has been the leader in the Brazilian domestic market since July 2003, and held a 50.6 percent domestic market share and 64.3 percent international market share at the end of July 2007. TAP is the Portuguese airline market leader, established in 1945 and a member of the Star Alliance since 2005.