TAM Concludes 30 Business Agreements and has 64 Airline Partners Abroad

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/

TAM concluded 30 SPA (Special Prorate Agreement) business agreements in 2007, and in doing so, now maintains SPA partnerships with 64 international airlines operating in practically every country in South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Partnerships of this kind make it possible for TAM to offer its customers the convenience of purchasing one single airline ticket with the Company and flying from Brazil to diverse destinations throughout the world, at prices that are more competitive than the passenger would obtain if purchasing each ticket separately.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO )

These partnerships make it possible for passengers to make connections to a variety of international destinations, from direct flights and daily flights currently operated by TAM to South America (Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Caracas, Santiago, Asuncion, Ciudad del Este and Montevideo), the United States (Miami and New York) and Europe (Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris). Using these services, TAM passengers can reach major cities such as Doha in Qatar, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Beijing and Hong Kong in the Far East.

Among the 64 international airlines with which TAM has SPA agreements are: LAN Alliance, Copa, Aeropostal and TACA in South America; Aeromexico and Mexicana in Mexico; United Airlines, US Airways, American Airlines, Delta and Continental in the USA; Air France, TAP, Lufthansa, Alitalia, British Airways, British Middland, KLM, Iberia, Swiss, SAS, Austrian, Finnair and Lot Polish in Europe; Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Middle East and El Al in the Middle East; Air China, Asiana, China Eastern, China Southern, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Korean, Malaysian, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines in Asia; Qantas in Oceania; and South African in Africa.

SPA partnerships are only possible because TAM maintains MITA (Multilateral Interline Traffic Agreement) traffic agreements with nearly 130 international airlines that are IATA (International Air Transport Association) members. These agreements make it possible for the Company to provide greater coverage of its international network and offer more options to its customers, since in such cases the traveler can also purchase a ticket directly from TAM for several segments and fly with a number of different airlines to any destination worldwide.

Interline Electronic Tickets - TAM has also concluded agreements with 17 international companies for the establishment of the Interline Electronic Ticket (IET). With the implementation of these agreements, TAM can issue electronic tickets (e-tkts) that are accepted by Air Canada, Aeromexico, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Copa, Jal, KLM, Lan Chile, Lan Peru, Lan Argentina, Lan Ecuador, Mexicana, Swiss, TAP and TAM Mercosur, while electronic tickets issued by these companies are also accepted at TAM check-in counters. Until the end of the first six months of the year, the Company intends to set up this system with an additional 30 international companies, offering passengers the convenience of having a single electronic ticket issued for all phases of a trip involving flights operated by TAM and an international partner. It also provides greater security for the passenger, who needs only to present identification and the ticket number at check-in time to request a boarding pass covering each stage of the trip.

Advantages of code share - In further efforts to offer its passengers more comfortable and convenient services, TAM has entered into strategic code share partnerships (operational agreements for sharing of flights) with international companies that are leaders in their home markets, providing greater integration among respective air travel networks and making it possible to offer passengers more options for scheduling flights, in addition to ensuring more convenient connections in Brazil and abroad. It also makes it possible to offer passengers the advantages of frequent flyer programs of partner airlines and individualized service, with direct baggage transfer through to the final destination.

At present, TAM has code-share agreements with Air France and TAP, with the companies of the LAN Alliance (Lan Chile, Lan Argentina and Lan Peru) and with United Airlines. Recently, it signed a code share agreement with Lufthansa, with the prospect of implementing this type of strategic partnership this year.

About TAM:

TAM Linhas Aereas (http://www.tam.com.br) has been domestic market leader since July of 2003, and closed the month of December 2007 with a 48.6% market share. The company flies to 47 destinations in Brazil. With commercial agreements signed with regional companies, it reaches 81 different destinations nationwide. TAM's market share among Brazilian companies operating international airlines was 70% in December. Operations abroad include direct flights to eleven destinations: New York and Miami (USA), Paris (France), London (England), Milan (Italy), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Caracas (Venezuela) and Montevideo (Uruguay). With TAM Mercosur, it also serves Asuncion and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Cordoba (Argentina), Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba (Bolivia), among other South American cities. It has code-share agreements with international companies, allowing for the sharing of seats on flights with international companies, enabling passengers to travel to 62 other destinations in the USA, South America and Europe. A pioneer in Brazil's airline industry with the launch of its Programa Fidelidade frequent flyer program, TAM today has more than 4.3 million members and has issued more than 5 million tickets redeemed with frequent flyer points.