Air Canada, All Nippon OK Deal

Air Canada and All Nippon Airways Co. signed a code-sharing agreement as part of a plan to capture a larger share of the transpacific market.

The carriers said they’ve asked Japan’s Ministry of Transport to allow All Nippon Airways to begin selling seats beginning Aug. 1 on Air Canada’s Osaka-to-Vancouver, British Columbia, route.

Code sharing helps carriers boost traffic by linking flights in reservation systems. Travelers get a single ticket and check their bags once, although the trip typically consists of two segments, one on each airline.

“The Asian market is where we expect air travel to increase the most over the next 10 years,” said Air Canada spokeswoman Nicole Couture-Simard.

Air Canada and All Nippon Airways already have an agreement to coordinate their schedules, develop joint tour packages and allow their passengers to participate in each other’s frequent-flier programs.

“We look forward to jointly fostering continued growth on this route and offering transpacific passengers convenient connections to both the Japanese domestic market and the rest of Asia,” Air Canada President Lamar Durrett said in a statement.

For All Nippon Airways, Vancouver marks its first Canadian destination.

“The convenience of Vancouver’s new terminal building will allow us to expand our activities in the North American market as a whole,” said All Nippon Airways President Seiji Fukatsu.