Johannesburg - kulula and Air France have announced a code-share agreement, taking the local low-cost carrier to a broader European market.
Air France will add its AF code to kulula’s domestic route network, allowing customers to seamlessly connect to and from Cape Town, Durban, George and East London. Passengers will also enjoy the benefits of purchasing a single Air France ticket with the convenience of one-stop check-in and baggage transfer.
This is kulula’s second partnership with a SkyTeam Alliance member, following its codeshare agreement signed with Kenya Airways in April this year. Air France-KLM in fact own Kenya Airways, making the new code-share a welcomed extension. Air France currently operates 24 flights per week to South Africa via Johannesburg.
Speaking at a media briefing, Erik Venter, Comair’s Chief Executive Officer said while the completion of the Air France Alliance has been in the making for a while, vital IT systems have finally been put in place to allow the low cost carrier to offer its inventory on a global scale.
“The code-share allows visitors to now access the whole South African network, instead of just reaching Johannesburg and having to book something new.” Venter said.
In a domestic market that is set to get a little more aggressive as new low-cost carrier FlySAfair is set to enter the market, it’s a smart move from Comair, which sees kulula piggybacking on the infrastructure of a legacy European carrier and accessing passengers that would otherwise not have known about the low cost airline.
Venter also said while the key benefit of the partnership was selling seats, "there are lots of pieces in this relationship", hinting that additional SkyTeams members might be added in the near future.
“We are confident that our customers will benefit from the partnership, providing them with more convenient booking and travel options within South Africa. We are excited to be working with kulula.com and look forward to further expanding our relationship,” said Frank Legre, Senior Vice President Africa at Air France KLM
The kulula-Air France alliance is subject to regulatory approval and bookings are expected to open soon thereafter.