Former Swiss International alliance manager to lead oneworld sales drive in Switzerland and Germany

The oneworld^TM airline alliance has appointed Philip Lewin as its Market Development Manager for Germany and Switzerland.

He will work with the sales and marketing teams of oneworld's member airlines to build their and the alliance's share in these two key target markets. Philip will be based in Zurich, and report to oneworld Commercial Director Filip Lemmens.

He joins the alliance after almost a year as an aviation consultant.

Previously, he was General Manager External Relations and Alliances at Swiss International Air Lines, at a time when the airline had been considering joining oneworld. He also then held responsibility for SWISS' joint venture with American Airlines and for its bilateral relationships with British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qantas.

Earlier at SWISS, he had been Sales and Marketing Business Development Manager, responsible for joint activity with its former partner Sabena, and Alliance Manager at Qualiflyer Group, the alliance of European carriers led by Swissair.

He joined SWISS from the Star alliance, where he had been a project manager at its Chicago office. He previously worked for United Airlines in London, in business sales development.

A graduate of Cambridge University, he holds dual Swiss and UK nationality. While English is his mother tongue, he also speaks German and French.

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Nicolas Ferri said: "I am delighted to welcome Philip on board. He joins us with a very strong alliance and sales management background both in Europe and the United States."

About oneworld

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 has signed a memorandum of understanding as its first step towards 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. Together, its members serve some 600 destinations and 135 countries.

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.

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

About oneworld in Germany and Switzerland

Germany and Switzerland and two key target markets for oneworld – two of only four countries worldwide where the alliance currently offers its businessflyer sales product, offering small and medium sized enterprises substantial discounts on their international travel in return for a more regular relationship with the alliances carriers.

Germany is one of only two countries worldwide served by all eight oneworld partners, with a total of almost 1.700 flights a week, and direct services to 18 destinations in Europe, the Americas and Asia and the smoothest of connections from there to the 600 destinations in 135 territories served by the alliance worldwide. Last year, its airlines offered almost 12 million seats on flights to or from the country, with an overall share of around 10 per cent of the German air travel market.

Five of the alliance's members - Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia - serve a total of three gateways in Switzerland, a total of more than 550 flights between them a week with direct services to 11 destinations in Europe and the USA, and the smoothest of connections from there to the 600 destinations in 135 territories served by the alliance worldwide. Last year, its airlines offered almost 3,5 million seats on flights to or from the country, with an overall share of around 12 per cent of the Swiss air travel market.

Photographs of Philip Lewin in high resolution format can be downloaded from the oneworld gallery

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