Not many.

Fantastic news! Really enjoyed flying them throughout europe last year. A lot nicer kept aircraft (A319/320) then BA with a good sandwich snack even for a short flight unlike BA's birdseed.

Will look forward to more AB travel soon!

This could be great news. We used to fly with them when they flew STN-TXL. But so many questions - will they stay at STN where there is no other OW representation or might they join up with BA at LGW? It would be nice to see Air Berlin to fly to Berlin again from London. Their service was always good. Good question raised earlier about lounges. They appear to have their own lounge at TXL.

I know this is wishful thinking and will never happen, but would be nice if gives 100% miles in economy, they seem to go the route of IB or BA in mileage accural.

I guess they want:
1>, OW Frequent flyers who may purchase its Business class ticket to support their revunue on long haul routes
2>, OW's network so AB can sell ticket in Germany to its members to anywhere in the world
3>, OW's structure that will make AB more competitive
4>, OW's leisure travelers who will use AB's European network to travel within EU. AB will have the potential to sell majority of the Europe Pass sectors for its frequency and network.
5>, OW's member airlines to work together with AB to make DUS a better hub with a future Berlin hub in the new Berlin airport which due to open in 2012. So when AB fully integrated into OW (possibly late 2011 early 2012) OW will have the new Berlin BBL airport (code BER) as one hub
6>, OW's international routes into Frankfurt so AB could benefits from the codeshare out of FRA.

The integration process will be a challenge but I don't think AB is a "classical" LCC like Ryanair or easyJet. AB already works more or less like a network carrier and this may help in the integration process.

Some features:
- AB allows connections and checks your bags through
- AB has a frequent flyer program with other airline partners (S7 among others)
- AB has two classes of services (long-haul)
- AB uses main airports (e.g. FRA,TXL instead of Hahn or Schönfeld), most of which already have a OW lounge
- AB's IT is connected to the ESTA, API databases for US bound passengers
- you can buy AB ticket through consolidators and/or online agencies (e.g. ebookers, expedia.de, etc.)
- you should be able to buy AB tickets through TAs as well (I'm not sure though)
- AB has a limited hub-and-spoke model in TXL & DUS (you can for instance fly from ZRH via DUS to MIA, your bag is checked through, you get boarding passes for the DUS-MIA leg in ZRH, the check-in agent at ZRH enters your API details for the US and checks whether you are ESTA compliant, etc.)


AB is more like B6 in the US which offers you connecting flights, booking via online agencies such as Expedia, etc. They are a low-fare network carrier.

AB tried to take on LH in DUS by offering more long haul flights with a premium product that was more aimed at business travellers. LH then placed 3 330/340s on TATL routes at DUS. They are still there (flew DUS-EWR on Sat), but it never struck me that the AB long haul model did grew much beyond the charter flights of LTU which they took over.

Excellent news! Now OW needs a decent African airline to fill the gaps ....

This is great news, despite the fact that oneworld loses the unique status of having been the only one the alliances without a member starting in "Air ..."

Presumably they'd end up being including within the Transatlantic ATI...?

I wonder why Branson opposed this so much considering VS might be partners with the new UA soon.

They will start co-sharing with Finnair, starting this autumn. Works well for Finnair and their Europe-Asia strategy.

27.7.2010 14:30:00 - OMX Helsinki, News
Finnair Plc Investor News Finnair and Air Berlin to cooperate in Europe-Asia traffic
The oneworld airline alliance and Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline,
have agreed that the airline will become a member of the alliance. Air Berlin
is expected to join the alliance at the beginning of 2012. At the same time
Finnair and Air Berlin also agreed on bilateral cooperation.

Finnair and Air Berlin begin a code-share cooperation in November 2010, within
which the companies plan to cooperate commercially in traffic between Germany
and Finland, and later in Finnair's Asian traffic. At the same time, the
companies also plan to cooperate in terms of their frequent-flyer programmes.

"For Finnair, cooperation with Air Berlin will provide a stronger foothold in
Central Europe, which will support Finnair's Asian strategy significantly,"
says Finnair's President & CEO Mika Vehviläinen.

"Air Berlin's network covers the area of Europe with the highest purchasing
power. Cooperation will lead to numerous new, fast connections from
German-speaking Central Europe via Helsinki to Asia. We will provide for
business passengers a competitive alternative, which will boost our corporate
sales in an important market," says Vehviläinen.

For Finnair's Finnish customers, closer cooperation with Air Berlin will also
open up new destinations in both German-speaking Europe and the Mediterranean
area.

Finnair Plc
Communications
27.7.2010

yep... a couple of people over the years called for it on that Thread [e.g. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12749974-post42.html], but IC6A considered it no better than a 150/1 chance that it would happen [http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12984586-post46.html] and then decided it was so unlikely that he gave us odds of 1500/1 back in April [http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13865800-post59.html]!!! :eek:;)

How I now wish I'd have made a bet with him then! ;):D

Too bad Hainan Airlines (who has a cooperation with airberlin) seems to be blocked from joining OW by Cathay Pacific

Well, at worst I would consider Air Berlin a semi-low cost carrier (they have Business class, a frequent flyer prog., etc), and there are a few of those in a few alliances already!

If Air Berlin are a low-cost carrier, then most def. so are bmi and they have been in *A for a long, long time!

So, either way, the characterisation '1st low cost carrier to join an alliance' is an odd statement!

ADD [From OW Press Release] "While it [Air Berlin] has been named the World's Best Low-Cost Airline seven years running in the World Airline Awards run by the Skytrax airline quality organisation, it now offers the full-range of services associated with a full-service network carrier, including its frequent flyer programme topbonus, and, for premium passengers, lounges, priority check-in and, for all passengers, free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and meals or snacks on every departure".
.