International Air Group, the parent of British Air, Iberia and Aer Lingus is leveraging its different brands to scoop up new business on several fronts.
From the U.S., Aer Lingus has just opened the first trans-Atlantic flight in years from Hartford, Connecticut, hoping to snag full planeloads of passengers who can avoid the 125-mile trip to either New York or Boston. Aer Lingus points out that its Dublin hub has connections to 28 other European cities.
And, in Asia, IAG's Iberia brand has now become a partner in a joint operating agreement with British Air, Finnair and Japan Airlines which allows them to coordinate services and sell tickets on each others' flights. The agreement gives the other lines full access to Iberia's Tokyo-Madrid route, and allows Iberia to make more connections to other cities in Asia.
Hartford last had service to Europe before 2008, when a crashing economy and rising fuel prices led Northwest to cut the routes. Hartford's location, halfway between the two big hubs, can be either a weakness, or give it a territory the others can't touch. The region is hoping the service will not only be profitable, but attract new business to the area.
Time will tell; in the meantime, Aer Lingus is advertising "Why drive to Boston and New York when you could already be a thousand miles across the Atlantic?"
First arriving flight gets a traditional welcome at Hartford. (Photo: Bradley IA)
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