aword from oneworld: gennaio 2006

11 gennaio 2006

Five new destinations take oneworld network to 606 airports worldwide: Another five destinations are joining the network served by oneworldTM, the leading quality global airline alliance, taking the number of airports served by its existing eight member airlines and their dozen affiliates to 606. The newcomers include:

  • Dalaman (DLM), gateway to Turkey's west coast, which will be served by affiliate GB Airways, which operates as a franchisee of British Airways, from 1 May with an initial two round trips a week from London Gatwick. It will be the third point in Turkey served by oneworld carriers.
  • Dallas Love Field (DAL) will be served by American Airlines and its American Eagle regional affiliate from 2 March with a total of 16 daily departures initially to four destinations – Austin, Kansas City, San Antonio and St Louis. The Dallas region's major airport, Dallas/Fort Worth, is American's main hub.
  • Martinique's Fort de France (FDF), in the Caribbean, now served by affiliate American Eagle from its San Juan hub, in Puerto Rico, with an initial four services a week, using 64-seat ATRs.
  • Rennes (RNS), France, to be served by Aer Lingus from its Dublin hub from March, with an initial twice weekly non-stops. It will be the alliance's 14th destination in France.
  • Poznan (POZ), in Poland, to be served by Aer Lingus from its Dublin hub from March, with one non-stop a week. oneworld members already serve Warsaw and Krakow in Poland.

Aer Lingus to open another six routes from Ireland: Aer Lingus is to continue the rapid expansion of its network, with the launch of another three new routes from its Dublin base and three more destinations from Cork. From the Irish capital, it will serve Palma de Majorca, which is already on the alliance map through British Airways and Iberia, three times a week, as well as opening services to new alliance destinations Rennes and Poznan (see above). From Cork, it will add routes from June to Birmimgham, Berlin and Tenerife. All three destinations are already served by other oneworld carriers. The Irish airline announced a total of 22 new routes in 2005.

American and Finnair launch Delhi services: Another two oneworld members are launching services to Delhi. American Airlines' new daily non-stops from its Chicago O'Hare hub have already taken off. Finnair will start serving the Indian capital from 1 November, with an initial three non-stops a week to and from its Helsinki home. They will join British Airways and Cathay Pacific in the Delhi market.

Qantas adds Beijing and Vancouver service: Qantas has launched its new route to Beijing, with an initial three non-stops a week to and from its Sydney hub, with two-class Airbus A330-300s. With its established four weeklies to Shanghai, the airline now serves the China mainland daily - and expects to operate to both destinations daily within two years. Three oneworld partners already serve Beijing - British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair. June will see Qantas' famous kangaroo tailfin touch down at Vancouver, with an initial three flights a week during peak holiday periods from Sydney, via San Francisco, as the "first step towards establishing year-round Qantas flights to Canada". Vancouver is already on the oneworld map through American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific.

 

LAN invests US$100 million in premium business class with fully flat beds: oneworld's Latin American partner LAN is to install seats which convert into horizontal, fully flat beds in a new premium business class on its Boeing 767-300s, operating between South and North America. Its new Premium Business blends the best of the airline's current first and business class services, in an investment valued at more than US$100 million. In-flight entertainment will also be upgraded, with larger 15,4 ins individual monitors providing enhanced resolution, with video and audio on demand. The new-style service will be available from March with all the fleet refitted within two years.

American opens new Admirals Clubs at Miami and New York JFK: American Airlines has opened two new Admirals Clubs – one at New York JFK and the other at Miami. The JFK facility is in the airline's Terminal 9, which it has been upgraded in a US$1.1 billion rebuilding programme. It covers 11.300 sq ft and seats 183 people. The new Miami lounge is on Concourse D, near gate D 34. It is the first of two new clubs being developed as part of the airport's North Terminal development project. The second, on Concourse A, is scheduled to open in early 2006. The Concourse D facility is one of the largest Admirals Clubs worldwide, with more than 30.000 sq ft and seating for 320. Besides American's own Admirals Club members, the new facilities can be used by Emerald and Sapphire tier members of any other oneworld airlines' frequent flyer programme when departing on any oneworld airlines' service.

Cathay Pacific can now check-in Hong Kong passengers from Pearl River: Cathay Pacific can now check-in from mainland China passengers flying from its Hong Kong hub, thanks to a new facility opened at a ferry pier at Shekou on the Pearl River Delta. It enables passengers to check themselves and their baggage in, receive their boarding pass and clear customers and immigration before boarding a boat taking them directly to Hong Kong's airport.

oneworld in brief: oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Finnair and Aer Lingus, plus their dozen affiliates.

Three more airlines are lining up to join - Royal Jordanian, which will come on board at the turn of 2006/2007; Malev, which has been elected on board with effect from early 2007; and Japan Airlines, which is seeking membership.

The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges.

oneworld is the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of carriers, using just electronic tickets.

oneworld was voted the world's best airline alliance by readers of Business Traveller magazine for the second year running in its 2005 poll and the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the third year running in the latest World Travel Awards, based on votes cast by80,000 travel agency professionalsfrom more than 200 countries.

It is also the only alliance whose members reported collective profits in their latest full year.

Nota: LAN affiliates LAN ECUADOR and LAN ARGENTINA are not members of oneworld.