Delta Air Lines’ service roll-outs in Seattle reflect new nuances in airline partnerships

Delta Air Lines' recent outlining of planned expansion from Seattle to Seoul and Hong Kong reflects its continuing strategy of building the airport into an international gateway partially in partnership with Alaska Air Group, Seattle's largest carrier. Delta has been steadily expanding its operations in Seattle during the last couple of years, a market it may deem more suitable for growing further into Asia than some of its existing hubs - evidenced by the transition of service to Hong Kong from Detroit to Seattle.

Largely absent from Delta's discussion in the latest Asian expansion from Seattle is any cooperation with SkyTeam partner Korean Air, who has ample service from Seattle to Seoul.

Delta's silence could be illustrative of a logic that alliances are not a cure all for network optimisation that became especially pronounced during 2012 with the landmark deal between Emirates and Qantas, Air France's forging of a partnership with Etihad and Delta tabling plans to take a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic. Those two carriers recently won the US Department of Transportation's (DoT) approval to forge a trans-Atlantic joint venture whose launch will coincide with Delta's introduction of Seattle-London Heathrow in Mar-2014.