Alaska plans to join American's transatlantic and JAL joint ventures

Alaska Airlines wants to put its Seattle long-haul flights into American's immunized transatlantic and Japan Airlines revenue pools. Alaska Air Group says it will enter those joint businesses and wants antitrust immunity to coordinate fares and schedules. The transatlantic group already includes British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Aer Lingus. American's separate Qantas joint venture is not included.

The two airlines already share mileage earning and redemption plus elite benefits beyond ordinary oneworld. The West Coast International Alliance only shares revenue on a capped, non-reciprocal basis, with no joint network planning. Alaska already flies a Seattle long-haul network after American's Seattle gateway plan largely failed. It plans 15 long-haul destinations by 2030. Those flights would then sit in immunized pools that American and the foreign partners have more reason to sell. Immunized joint businesses already cover 85% of U.S. long-haul capacity.

Points travellers could see a denser Seattle long-haul network that partners actually sell, but would lose Alaska as an independent competitor on those routes. Watch the filings and whether Alaska expands its Seattle long-haul schedule if the joint ventures win approval.