Photo: Bingqian Li / Pexels
Air Astana and China Southern Airlines signed a strategic partnership agreement on October 30 (informburo.kz). The carriers plan to develop fares for connecting journeys and coordinate their schedules more closely. For passengers from Kazakhstan, this should make it easier to buy tickets and check baggage on journeys involving both airlines.
What happened
The agreement provides for closer coordination of flight frequencies, schedules and ticket sales. The carriers will work within agreed terms and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals. Coordinating schedules should help passengers find more convenient connections.
Richard Ledger, Air Astana’s Vice President for Partnerships and Alliances, said the companies are not creating a joint legal entity. He explained that the commercial partnership goes beyond a standard codeshare arrangement, in which one airline sells tickets for another airline’s flight under its own code.
What it means for passengers
One planned change is the development of through fares. These will allow passengers to book a connecting journey even when the two airlines operate different legs. Baggage on these journeys will be checked through to the final destination without needing to be checked in again.
An Air Astana representative gave the example of a flight from Almaty to Shanghai via Guangzhou. Passengers would not need to collect their suitcase at the connecting airport and check it in again for the next flight. The two carriers’ schedules are not always convenient for such journeys at present, so the companies plan to coordinate them.
How the partnership could affect prices
Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev said passengers would gain access to a wider route network and more attractive ticket prices. Lower fares, however, remain an expected outcome of the partnership. The price of a flight will depend on the route, travel date, demand and fare conditions.
China Southern Airlines Executive Vice President Zeng Yongchao also linked the agreement to more convenient connecting journeys. His examples included travel from Kazakhstan via China to Southeast Asia. Another option is travel from China via Kazakhstan to Central Asia.
Which flights connect the two countries
Air Astana operates flights from Astana and Almaty to Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. China Southern Airlines connects Almaty and Astana with Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi’an. These routes complement the two carriers’ networks.
The companies already had a codeshare partnership: passengers could buy a ticket from one carrier and fly on the other’s aircraft. The new agreement builds on that cooperation. Ledger said the aim is to assess the performance of individual flights and the potential of the combined route network.
