CANCUN, Mexico -- The SkyTeam alliance is considering
accepting low-cost carriers (LCCs), CEO Perry Cantarutti said in an interview
with Travel Weekly on Monday.
"We are looking at that. I think it is a likely
development," Cantarutti said during an interview at the IATA general
meeting in Cancun. "I don't know which carriers. I don't know when."
The alliance currently has 20 airlines, including Delta.
Cantarutti explained that the lines between legacy carriers
and low-cost carriers are getting more blurred as LCCs are more frequently
offering premium products while legacy carriers are introducing branded fares
as well as unbundled, low-cost tickets.
SkyTeam, he explained, requires that its members offer some
premium experiences, most notably premium check-in. His expectation would be
that a low-cost carrier entrant would meet the existing SkyTeam standard.
"The alliance hasn't entertained having a second-tier
product," Cantarutti said.
In late 2016, Star Alliance, which counts United among its
members, inaugurated its Connecting Partner program with South African discount
carrier Mango.
Connecting partners aren't formal Star members, but routes
operated by those low-cost airlines are able to connect to the Star network.
Customers who travel on an itinerary that includes both a connecting partner and
a Star member only have to check in once and their baggage is transferred
between the airlines without having to be claimed.