American Airlines inks deal with Cathay Dragonair for more destinations in SE Asia

American Airlines says they now have a new deal with Hong Kong-based Cathay Dragon Airlines allowing US fliers access to South East Asian hot spots such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Da Nang and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

American’s network also will have more frequent flights to Penang, KL and Hanoi. The deal is said to strengthen American and Oneworld’s ties to Asia, the world’s fastest 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 Texas-based airline flies directly to Hong Kong daily from Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles, although travellers 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. vCodeshares are agreements that allow passengers to use a series of partner carriers to fly to international destinations, but still book through a single airline.

SOURCE: Dallas News