Oneworld

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{{Infobox Airline alliance | alliance=oneworld | logo=Oneworld_logo.jpg | size=100px | launch_date=February 1 1999 | full_members=8 | sponsored_members=0 | future_members=3 | airports=609 | countries=135 | annual_passengers=244.73 | fleet=2023 | key_people=John McCulloch (CEO) | website=http://www.oneworld.com | site_name=oneworld.com | updated=July 2005 }} Template:Lowercase Template:Redirect oneworld is a worldwide airline alliance. As of 2005 it is the third largest after the other two major alliances, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. Member airlines and their affiliates enjoy a high degree of co-operation in scheduling, ticketing, code sharing, flight transfer operations, frequent flyer benefits, shared airport lounges, reducing costs and sharing 'best practice'.

Oneworld was the first airline alliance to establish a central management. Based in Vancouver, Canada, it has a Managing Director, reporting to the alliance board, which is made up of the Chief Executives of each of the member airlines. Chairman of the board is held on a rotating basis. Reporting to the Managing Partner are function heads for Commercial, IT, Public Relations, Airports and Customer Service, and a Global Project Director.

Member airlines also develop common specifications as widely as possible across their engineering and maintenance activities, aligning their policies and procedures and work together to develop and support solutions that can be applied throughout the airline industry. Costs are also reduced through bulk buying and by sharing parts between one another.

The alliance reaches over 600 destinations in 135 countries around the world, operating over 8000 daily flights. In 2004 Oneworld carried over 230 million passengers on a combined fleet of some 2000 aircraft. It is the only airline alliance whose members earned a combined profit in the past year - US$1.5 billion net, against combined losses by Star carriers totalling more than US$2.2 billion and an overall deficit by SkyTeam's members in excess of US$7 billion.

Its existing members currently serve 134 countries and 599 destinations. With Japan Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Malév joining in the future, the Oneworld map would extend to 686 destinations in 140 countries and territories.

Oneworld was voted the world's best airline alliance in the 2004 Business Traveller Awards and named the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the second year running at the 2004 World Travel Awards.

1 Membership history
2 Members
3 Premium status
4 Destinations
5 See also
6 External links

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Membership history

1998 - Oneworld is launched in September when American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas announce their intention to form an alliance.

1999 - In February, Oneworld becomes operational, and member airlines begin offering the alliance benefits. Iberia and Finnair join later this year.

2000 - Aer Lingus and LanChile (now known simply as LAN) join the alliance. However, founding member Canadian Airlines is acquired by Air Canada after a period of financial difficulty; Air Canada being a member of rival Star Alliance.

2003-2005 - Swiss International Air Lines accepts an invitation to join in September, at the same time signing a memorandum of understanding with British Airways, agreeing to a strategic alliance with the British carrier including extensive code sharing, slot exchange agreements at London Heathrow and merging the Swiss frequent flyer programme with the British Airways Executive Club. However, in June 2004, Swiss terminates the agreement, citing the significant costs and drawbacks of the integration would outweigh the long term benefits. As a result of the termination of the BA alliance, Swiss decides not to proceed with its application to join Oneworld. (In March 2005, Lufthansa announced the take-over of Swiss, paving the way for its membership in the Star Alliance).
For a time during 2003, British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines begin discussions on a possible merger, which would significantly increase the size of Oneworld, bringing KLM's strategic partner Northwest Airlines into the enlarged alliance. However, the talks are fruitless and KLM merges with Air France the following year, creating the world's largest airline in Air France-KLM and significantly boosting Skyteam, making it the second largest alliance after Star Alliance.

2005 - On May 24, Oneworld Alliance signs a memorandum of understanding with Hungary's Malév Hungarian Airlines as the first step towards joining the alliance. Also, on 17 October, Royal Jordanian accepted to join Oneworld Alliance. It will be the 10th Oneworld member and the first airline from the Middle East in a worldwide alliance when joining the alliance in 2006/2007. On 25 October 2005, Japan Airlines (JAL) admitted that the airline is seeking a membership in the Oneworld alliance. JAL would expand Oneworld's existing network by around 10 per cent, adding 68 destinations - 56 of them in Japan and five in China. It would add one territory—Guam. On 22 November 2005, Malév accepted a formal invitation to join the alliance, following its satisfactory completion of Oneworld safety and quality audits. The invitation is subject to Malév completing codeshare agreements with other alliance partners and continuing to progress towards a return to profitability. It is expected that Malév will be offering full alliance benefits by late 2006 or early 2007. [1]

2006 - Japan Airlines completes first step towards Oneworld membership and signs a memorandum of understanding with Oneworld Alliance. JAL will join the alliance after reaching the remaining agreements. It's expected that JAL will fly as a fully-fledged member in 2007.

2006 - All oneworld airlines serving Madrid moved into the new Terminal 4 on 5 February 2006. All oneworld's airlines will be operating flights between Europe and Latin America, and home base for member Iberia.

2006 - All oneworld airlines (except British Airways) serving Heathrow will move into Terminal 3 from March 2008. British Airways will have exclusive use of the new Terminal 5. Details

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Members

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Current

Image:Lineupofoneworldmembersaircrafts.jpg

In addition, regional subsidiaries and franchise carriers of the above airlines are affiliate members of Oneworld.

Note+: The founding members of the Oneworld Alliance.

Note*: LAN affiliates LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador are not members of Oneworld.

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Former

Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canadian Airlines+ - Taken over by Star Alliance member Air Canada in 2000.

Note+: A founding member of the Oneworld Alliance.

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Future

Image:Royaljorandianoneworld.jpg

Image:Flag of Hungary.svg Malév - the airline accepted an invitation to join the alliance on 22 November 2005, expected to be a fully-fledged member in 2006/2007

Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Royal Jordanian - the airline has accepted an invitation to join the alliance, expected to be a fully-fledged member in 2006/2007

Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Airlines - Japan Airlines and Oneworld have exchanged a memorandum of understanding, the airline is expected to become a fully-fledged member in 2007. ([2])

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Potential future members

Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Air China - was taken a 9.9% stake by Cathay Pacific in 2004, and signed a deal that includes co-ordinated schedules and joint marketing efforts. Also, it is a partner of Cathay Pacific's Frequent Flyer Programme, Asia Miles. However, no agreement with Oneworld has been made, and it is unclear how this will affect Air China's current discussions on Star Alliance membership. [3]

Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Eastern - partners with American Airlines and Qantas, and is a partner of Asia Miles. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that only one of the two Mainland-Chinese carriers, Air China or China Eastern, can join Oneworld.

Image:Flag of Hong Kong SAR.png Dragonair - is a subsidiary company of Cathay Pacific/Swire Group (the major shareholder of Cathay Pacific) and CNAC (a subsidiary company of Air China) as well as CITIC (also a shareholder of Cathay Pacific). Cathay Pacific co-operates with Dragonair in many aspects. Moreover, a joint announcement is recently released in Hong Kong that these companies will strengthen their relationships, and it is possible that Dragonair will join Oneworld in the future as an affilate. [4]

Image:Flag of India.svg Jet Airways - Air Sahara - Jet Airways is going to take over Air Sahara according to the recent agreement of both airlines. Also, Air Sahara has recently concluded codeshare agreements with Oneworld member American Airlines and has signed a memorandum of understanding with another major Oneworld partner, British Airways. The airline is also a partner in the Qantas frequent flyer program. Ronojoy Dutta, the President of Air Sahara has also hinted at the airline's membership of the alliance. He has also flagged the airline's intent to hold discussions with Oneworld member Cathay Pacific about cooperation in Southeast Asia. [5] [6]

Image:Flag of Belgium.svg SN Brussels Airlines - also shares a close working relationship with several Oneworld members, including a strategic alliance with British Airways, who handle check-in and ground support for SN aircraft in the United Kingdom, as well as shared lounges and frequent flyer programmes. SN Brussels also code share with American Airlines, Iberia and Finnair. As some of the agreements of Oneworld membership are already in place, SN Brussels is in an advantageous position to join the alliance if so desired.

Image:Flag of Brazil.svg TAM Airlines - recently terminated its agreement with Skyteam's Air France and strengthened its relationship with American Airlines.

Image:Flag of Canada.svg WestJet - a Canadian discount carrier, has co-operation agreements with Japan Airlines and is thought to be in discussion with Cathay Pacific for a possible strategic alliance. Because of WestJet's relationships with Oneworld members, it has been speculated that WestJet may join the alliance. [7][8]

Image:Flag of Fiji.svg Air Pacific - the national airline of Fiji is 46.3% owned by Qantas (the remaining shares are held by the Fijian government). The airline has strong existing codeshare agreements with both Qantas and American Airlines. Its addition would give Oneworld a strong presence in the Oceanic market. One drawback is the quality of the airline which may not reach the high standards that Oneworld member airlines currently enjoy.

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Premium status

Oneworld has three premium levels - Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald - based on a customer's tier status in a member carrier's frequent flyer program. Each of the member airlines recognizes the elite statuses, with a few exceptions. The statuses have no specific requirements of their own; membership is based solely on the frequent flyer programs of individual member airlines.

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