American Airlines inks deal to open routes to four cities in Southeast Asia

American Airlines announced a new deal Monday with Hong Kong-based Cathay Dragon Airlines that will give fliers access to southeast Asian hot spots such as Phuket, Thailand, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Through its Oneworld Alliance, American Airlines fliers will get flights through Hong Kong on Cathay Dragon to Dhaka, Bangladesh; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Da Nang, Vietnam; and Phuket, Thailand. American's network also will have more frequent flights to Penang, Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Hanoi, Vietnam. It strengthens American and Oneworld's ties to Asia, the fast-growing airline region where Oneworld is fighting for market share with Sky Team and Delta Air Lines. The codeshare will impact travellers going through Hong Kong International Airport, where Cathay Dragon is based. The Fort Worth-based airline flies directly to Hong Kong daily from Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles, although travelers also can connect through Chicago and New York JFK on Cathay Pacific. Cathay Dragon, formerly known as Dragonair, is a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, a longtime partner of American Airlines. <br/>