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Aeromexico expects to take steps towards joining partner Delta’s transatlantic joint venture in the second half of 2018, and does not rule out being part of Delta’s pending transpacific partnership with Korean Air. Aeromexico CE Andres Conesa says the airline wants to first concentrate on its new joint venture with Delta, which went into force in May. But he says Aeromexico plans to take part in Delta’s expanded transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic Airways, announced in July and pending regulatory approvals. As part of the expanded joint venture, Air France-KLM will acquire a 31% stake in Virgin Atlantic and Delta acquired a 10% stake in Air France-KLM. “They are re-arranging their conditions,” says Conesa at a press briefing at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Buenos Aires. “The idea is we jump into that [the joint venture] afterwards.” He expects that the process for this could begin in H2 2018. Conesa says Aeromexico’s entry will require approvals by Mexico’s competition regulator COFECE, as well as the US and European authorities. Asked if he expects approvals to take as long as they did for Delta and Aeromexico’s joint venture, he says: “Hopefully not.”<br/>

Delta will offer lie-flat business-class seating on domestic flights on six more routes next year as customer service on US domestic long-haul flights continues to become more competitive. Delta already offers lie-flat seats on the New York JFK-Los Angeles, JFK-San Francisco, Boston-San Francisco and Washington National-Los Angeles routes. Starting April 1, 2018, Delta will offer lie-flat seating in both directions on two of three daily Boston-Los Angeles flights, two of four daily JFK-Seattle flights and one of three daily JFK-San Diego flights. Also from April 1, it will offer lie-flat seats on daily Atlanta-Honolulu and Minneapolis-Honolulu flights (it flies once daily on each route). From May 1, 2018, Delta will offer lie-flat seats on one of five daily JFK-Las Vegas flights.<br/>