Report: American in talks with GOL for Latin American partnership
If airlines placed personals ads, American Airlines' might sound something like: World's (former) largest airline seeks partner with strong Latin American roots.
That's because American reportedly is seeking a new ally in the Southern Hemisphere in the ongoing fallout from last month's surprise news that Delta was acquiring a 20 percent stake in former AA partner LATAM Airlines.
According to Reuters, Brazil's Valor Economico newspaper first reported that American is in negotiations with Brazilian carrier GOL for a "partnership" on at least some Latin American flights.
GOL is a major competitor to LATAM, especially in Brazil.
Related: Snapshot: A look at American Airlines by the numbers
American acknowledged the talks, but said there are no developments to report.
"We're always talking to potential partners as we're continuing to grow our network," said American Airlines spokeswoman Nichelle Tait. "This is business as usual."
She also noted that American already has an interline agreement in place with GOL, and that airlines regularly look for ways to maximize benefits from all their partnerships.
For American, the loss of its partnership with Chile-based LATAM is a major setback for it in the South American market.
If American does ultimately strike a deal with GOL, the move would help it in the Brazilian market. But GOL would not come close to replacing the regional scale offered by outgoing partner LATAM, which is by far South America's largest carrier. It has a dominant presence in several markets, including in Chile, Brazil and Peru. GOL flies to several countries in South America and to the U.S. and the Caribbean, but its route network is heavily focused on the domestic Brazilian market.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app