An interline agreement is a formal arrangement between two or more airlines that enables them to issue tickets on each other’s flights, transfer passengers and hold baggage through to final destinations, and streamline connections across multiple carriers. In the tourism context, this mechanism ensures that travellers enjoy seamless itineraries—often under a single ticket—even when their journey involves flights operated by different airlines. Beyond simplifying the booking process, interline agreements play a vital role in expanding network reach, optimising aircraft utilisation, and enhancing passenger satisfaction by minimising the risk of stranded luggage and missed connections. By standardising ticketing and baggage-handling procedures, these agreements foster cooperative relationships in a competitive industry and underpin much of the global connectivity that defines modern air travel.
Example: “Because of an interline agreement between Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, our luggage was checked through from Frankfurt to Bali on one ticket, making our transfer stress-free.”
Synonyms: airline interline partnership, through-ticketing agreement, baggage through-check, ticketing cooperation
