Go for ITA Airways/Air Canada codeshare: no FFP collaboration yet, but they're working on it
ITA Airways and Air Canada have announced the signing of a codeshare agreement that will allow both to extend [...]
ITA Airways
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ITA Airways and Air Canada have announced the signing of a codeshare agreement which will allow both to extend their networks in North America and Europe. An agreement that, for the Italian carrier, Comes six weeks after the extinction of the one with Delta Airlines., a consequence of its joining the Lufthansa Group and exiting Skyteam.
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Unfortunately, inhen the agreement actually comes into effect next July 21, the two companies' loyalty programs will still not 'talk' to each other, meaning that for those enrolled in ITA's Volare program and Air Canada's Aeroplan. It will not be possible to earn miles by flying on codeshare routes, nor will it be possible to spend miles to buy award tickets or get upgrades, even though the two carriers jointly claimed to be working "to implement mutual accumulation and redemption capabilities in their respective loyalty programs."
While FFP is called Aeroplan, status level is determined by Altitude status, which is structured into five tiers: Basic, Prestige 25K, Elite 35K, Elite 50K, Elite 75K and Super Elite 100K. The last three are 'Top Tier' and offer travel benefits such as upgrades, lounge access, priority services (check-in, boarding, baggage claim), and bonuses in mileage accumulation through flights. To qualify for these levels, a member must earn, through flight activities, a certain number of miles or segments, as well as spend a certain amount of money. Air Canada refers to these requirements as Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM), Segments (AQS) and Dollars (AQD).
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Prestige and Altitude Elite 35K members receive Star Alliance Silver status, while Elite 50K, Elite 75K and Super Elite 100K members receive Star Alliance Gold status.
The agreement can still be seen as a first step toward that entry into the transatlantic partnership with Lufthansa, Air Canada and United which ITA CEO Joerg Eberhart himself called "essential" to the Italian carrier's success in connections to North America.
Specifically, it will allow ITA Airways to put its 'AZ' code on routes operated by Air Canada from Toronto to Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and St. John in Canada and to Boston, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Dallas in the United States. Vicariously, Air Canada will be able to put its AC code on flights operated by ITA Airways to Lamezia, Palermo, Catania, Bari and Florence in Italy; Tirana in Europe; Tel Aviv in the Middle East; and Cairo, Tunis and Algiers in North Africa. Codeshare ticket sales on these routes are already open.
Air Canada is flying this Summer 2025 to Italy with as many as 39 weekly frequencies 'spread' over four cities: Rome is served 12 times a week from Toronto, with seven frequencies operated on Boeing 777-300ER and five on Boeing 787-9, and ten times a week from Montreal with seven frequencies operated on Boeing 777-300ER and three on Boeing 787-9; Milan is connected to Montreal daily by Airbus A330-300; Venice to Toronto four times a week and to Montreal also four times a week and always with A330-300; and Naples to Montreal four times a week by Boeing 787-8. Three classes of service are available on all flights: business, premium economy and economy.
The Canadian carrier is one of the very few that is truly 'global', in the sense that boasts a network spanning all six inhabited continents (where it flies overall to just under 200 destinations) e Has a fleet consisting of 216 aircraft (flanked by Air Canada Express' 99), which includes 37 Airbus A220-300s, 2 Airbus A319-100s, 17 Airbus A320-200s, 20 Airbus A321-200s, 20 Airbus A330-300s, 47 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 8 Boeing 767-300s, 8 Boeing 787-8s, 32 Boeing 787-9s, 6 Boeing 777-200LRs and 19 Boeing 777-300ERs.
