3 5   mill ion ). ▁ ▁R ationale ▁ ▁Ben ef its ▁can ▁consist ▁of ▁an ▁extended ▁network , ▁often ▁real ised ▁through ▁codes h are ▁agre ements . ▁Many ▁al li ances ▁started ▁as ▁only ▁codes h are ▁networks . ▁Cost ▁redu ctions ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁sharing ▁of ▁sales ▁offices , ▁maintenance ▁facilities , ▁oper ational ▁facilities ▁( e . g . ▁c ater ing ▁or ▁computer ▁systems ), ▁oper ational ▁staff ▁( e . g . ▁ground ▁handling ▁personnel , ▁at ▁check - in ▁and ▁board ing ▁des ks ), ▁invest ments ▁and ▁purch ases ▁( e . g . ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁extra ▁volume ▁disc ount s ). ▁Tra v eller ▁benefits ▁can ▁include ▁lower ▁prices ▁due ▁to ▁lower ed ▁oper ational ▁costs ▁for ▁a ▁given ▁route , ▁more ▁departure ▁times ▁to ▁choose ▁from ▁on ▁a ▁given ▁route , ▁more ▁destin ations ▁within ▁easy ▁reach , ▁shorter ▁travel ▁times ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁optim ised ▁trans fers , ▁a ▁wider ▁range ▁of ▁air port ▁l ou ng es ▁shared ▁with ▁al liance ▁members , ▁fast ▁track ▁access ▁on ▁all ▁al liance ▁members ▁if ▁having ▁frequent ▁fly er ▁status , ▁faster ▁mile age ▁re wards ▁by ▁ear ning ▁miles ▁for ▁a ▁single ▁account ▁on ▁several ▁different ▁carri ers , ▁round - the - world ▁tick ets , ▁en abling ▁trav ellers ▁to ▁fly ▁over ▁the ▁world ▁for ▁a ▁relatively ▁low ▁price . ▁ ▁Air line ▁al li ances ▁may ▁also ▁create ▁dis adv antages ▁for ▁the ▁trav eller