Now that it owns 41 percent of ITA Airways, the Lufthansa Group has begun integrating the Italian carrier into its own systems and processes, first incorporating its loyalty program and soon to share codes and harmonize operations, Lufthansa announced Monday.
The Lufthansa Group last month closed a €325 million deal to acquire 41 percent of ITA.
Effective immediately, members of ITA's Volare loyalty program can earn and redeem miles on flights operated by Lufthansa Group carriers—Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines—as can Lufthansa Group Miles & More members earn and redeem on ITA flights.
Effective March 30, the carriers will begin sharing codes, initially on 100 flight connections, a figure expected to grow to more than 250 "once fully implemented," according to Lufthansa. On the same date, ITA and Lufthansa Group airport lounges will be available to use by travelers from all involved carriers.
Lufthansa also said connections between its group hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels and ITA's Rome and Milan hubs would be "optimized and better distributed throughout the day to offer guests more travel flexibility."
ITA has started the process of withdrawal from the SkyTeam airline alliance, according to Lufthansa, and plans to join Lufthansa in the Star Alliance in the first half of 2026.
"We are also confident that ITA Airways will realize a profit as early as this year," Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement.