The customer convenience, ease of travel and greater freedom of choice provided to consumers by interlining was well recognised - but what we had not assessed was the consumer financial value inherent through interlining. The multilateral interline system allows consumers to buy a single ticket, in a single currency, in a single transaction and fly with through-checked baggage, over the lines of more than one airline, permitting a change of flights, carriers and routings, before and during their journey. The system has been developed over those 50 years by airlines, co-operating through IATA, to establish standards necessary for the complex practical and financial interfaces that lie behind the seemingly simple transaction the consumer experiences.
Consumers have greater access, choice and value.
The annual combined value of these consumer benefits, based on US Department of Transport Statistics, and extrapolated worldwide, is calculated at USD 2.9 billion. These significant consumer benefits are compelling reasons to ensure the future of the IATA Multilateral Interline System - and for governments around the world to continue their recognition and support.