International expansion in the airlines business continues

International expansion in the airlines business continues. This time, it is the SkyMiles partners adding transatlantic flights. Why not if you can sell business class tickets for $5-9,000?

Here is what PRNewswire reported on March 25, 2011

 -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and the Air France-KLM Group (OTC: AFLYY) kick off a major international expansion this week with new flights connecting Florida with three major European cities: London, Paris and Amsterdam.

Delta will launch daily new nonstop service between Miami

 and London

's Heathrow Airport on March 26. On March 27, KLM begins new nonstop flights between Miami and its hub in Amsterdam four days weekly. And on June 11, Air France will inaugurate new nonstop service between Orlando and its Paris hub three days weekly.

The airlines will operate the new Florida flights under their industry-leading trans-Atlantic joint venture, an agreement, which also includes Alitalia, that allows the partners to coordinate flights and share costs and revenues of the service. 

In conjunction with its new service between Miami and London, Delta is also adding new nonstop service between Miami and Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. Those flights, operated by Delta Connection carrier Comair, begin March 26 and will provide convenient connecting service for Florida customers traveling to London-Heathrow.