Asiana expands codeshare with United to Chicago

Asiana Airlines said Monday that it will be expanding its codeshare agreement with United Airlines to include Chicago effective Mar. 17.

Under the codeshare agreement, United will be able to place its UA code on Asiana flights connecting Incheon and Chicago‘s O’Hare International Airport. Asiana will put its OZ code on United‘s 16 routes to domestic destinations within the US.

Asiana currently offers five weekly nonstop flights to Chicago. In 2016, the airline filled 83.8 percent of its seats on those flights, which is lower than the average of 86 percent for US-bound flights but shows “strong demand,” according to an Asiana spokesman.

“The deal will make it easier for Asiana passengers to use United’s domestic routes, and United passengers will have more access to the Chicago-Incheon route, which United does not service,” the spokesman said. 

The expansion adds 16 domestic United flights to the agreement with Asiana, bringing the total to 62. New US destinations that are serviced through the deal include Boston, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia and New Orleans from Chicago.

Before the deal, Asiana shared codes on United flights out of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Reservations for the new shared routes will be open for sale starting Tuesday. 

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)