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SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest, sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers. Issued monthly, SkyTeam NewsFlash provides media key updates on alliance activities. Please read on for this month’s SkyTeam news.
SkyTeam blooms this April – Following their meeting in Noordwijk, Netherlands earlier this month, the SkyTeam Steering Committee members celebrated the unveiling of a new breed of tulip named after the alliance. The Royal Dutch General Bulbgrowers’ Association (KAVB) held a ceremony in the Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands to honor the SkyTeam alliance as the namesake to the new variety of flower. The gesture is a prestigious tribute in the Netherlands, where the tulip flower holds a unique historic and economic significance.
As the customer-focused alliance, SkyTeam shared the recognition with one of its most-traveled passengers, 10-year-old Laura Malignaggi. The SkyTeam Elite Plus customer, who has achieved platinum status with KLM, participated in the ceremony, revealing the newly named tulip.
The SkyTeam tulip, developed by tulip breeder Jan Ligthart in Breezand, located north of Amsterdam, initially blooms in white and then takes on a pink-lilac color.
“[SkyTeam] is a new breed that falls under the group Crispa,” said Ligthart. “Crispa means fringed, taking the shape of tiny teeth or serrations on the edges of the petals. The new SkyTeam tulip is a sturdy flower, which grows better than the average tulip and blooms beautifully.”
Photos of the flower and ceremony are available online at http://www.presslink.nl/klm/.
SkyTeam adds co-location – SkyTeam announces its newest co-location in one of the United States’ premier transportation cities. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) joins the list the alliance’s co-located facilities as Delta Air Lines joins its SkyTeam partners in the Edward McNamara Terminal.
Delta’s SkyTeam partners Continental, KLM and Northwest already occupy space in the McNamara Terminal. A fourth SkyTeam carrier, Air France, plans to join these carriers at DTW 13 June 2005, in conjunction with inaugural service to Detroit. Concourse B of the new terminal will accommodate Delta’s 26 daily nonstop flights to and from Detroit.
The co-location of the carriers in the new terminal further illustrates the SkyTeam commitment to convenient, flexible customer service and integration among member airlines. Customers will have access to consolidated SkyTeam operations, including gates, check-in kiosks and counters, and security checkpoints.
Northwest Airlines opened the $1.2 billion Edward McNamara Terminal in February 2002. The state-of-the-art terminal features more than 100 gates; more than 80 restaurants, newsstands and shops; and wide, moving walkways for expedient customer travel within the terminal. Before the opening of the facility, DTW consistently ranked low in customer satisfaction surveys. After the opening, in 2002, travelers rated the airport fourth among 13 large U.S. airports and sixth worldwide in an annual consumer satisfaction survey by J.D. Power and Associates.
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