• by Karl Greenberg , March 9, 2009

Delta Air Lines and Midwest Airlines have formed an alliance that links the airlines' frequent flyer programs, offers flyers expanded access to airport lounges in North America, and includes joint marketing efforts.

The arrangement extends a deal that Midwest has had with Northwest Airlines. Atlanta-based Delta acquired Northwest last year. Under the new agreement, Midwest and Delta frequent flyers will be able to earn or redeem frequent flyer miles on either airline's network through the Delta SkyMiles, Northwest WorldPerks and Midwest Miles programs.

Both Delta and Milwaukee, Wis.-based Midwest will conduct expanded marketing and advertising campaigns to promote the new alliance with a focus on frequent flyers. It will also expand the existing Midwest-Northwest airport club membership agreement to include Delta Sky Clubs.

"Expanding our alliance relationships to include Midwest Airlines is another customer benefit created by Delta's merger with Northwest Airlines," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive officer, in a release.

A Midwest spokesperson says the two companies will market the alliance separately. "We won't do much new, dedicated mass media--but we will take existing media and add, for example, new tags at the end of TV spots, and dedicated radio--but the bulk will be communications to our existing customer base through email, direct mail, and in-flight magazines," he says.

"What makes this unique is that as Delta was acquiring Northwest they had to make new, separate decisions as to whether they wanted to be a partner with Midwest." He says the carrier's Milwaukee hub was part of the attraction. "We have a larger customer base here, so, in a way they are expressing optimism about the future success of the airline."