Delta/V Australia Tie-Up Gets Provisional ACCC Approval

Air travel from Australia to the US is more competitive than ever, but that doesn’t mean that it is any more profitable for the carriers. Delta and V Australia have been looking to operate their trans-Pacific flights as a joint venture, and that move is looking more likely with the ACCC giving provisional approval for the deal.

Those kind of joint ventures often raise the ire of the competition regulator, but in this case the ACCC is arguing that having more carriers on the route will keep the existing players (Qantas and United) honest. If approval is granted, it will be limited to three years initially. The ACCC is now inviting submissions on the proposal. While having four airlines on the route would arguably be better than three, the parlous state of the aviation industry probably means we should take what we can get.

With that said, I haven’t tested either of the carriers on this route, and indeed haven’t been on a Delta plane for more than a decade. How do they measure up these days? If you’ve flown them recently, share your wisdom in the comments.

ACCC sees benefit in Virgin Blue and Delta joint venture [ACCC]