Enhancements to Oneworld
 

(Sorry if I missed this in an earlier post)

Oneworld announces new initiatives


Chief executives of the oneworld carriers gathered this week in Hong Kong to announce a series of key new initiatives to accelerate and deepen the levels of co-operation between members.

The new moves include the introduction of more codesharing, new flights between oneworld hubs and a major new cost-saving initiative to build on the benefits already predicted this year for the eight member airlines: Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas.

The developments, announced at a press conference yesterday (Wednesday), followed the latest meeting of the alliance's Governing Board.

The new steps include:


A major extension of alliance activity in cost-savings, which for the first time extends to cargo, engineering and maintenance, insurance, flight operations training and revenue accounting, where significant savings are expected to be achieved on the US$10 billion accounted for in these areas by the eight carriers.

Three new types of ticket, with another three to follow in the next few months.

New flights between oneworld hubs, improving connections between member airlines' networks and making travel smoother and more convenient across the alliance's 571-destination map.

A significant expansion of code-sharing between the alliance's members.

The launch of e-ticket interlining, making it simpler for passengers to transfer between oneworld carriers using the latest forms of travel ticketing.

What could be the biggest corporate sales contract won by any of the global airline alliances with a leading US-based IT multinational, for its global air travel needs, worth US$40 million a year.

An expansion of oneworld's lead as the most international of the global airline alliances, with its network serving 135 territories and countries 11 more than its nearest rival.


Benefits
Oneworld's eight airlines already expect to benefit by a substantial sum this year from the various relationships between them through revenue generation and feed, and savings from joint purchasing and shared airport and city facilities.

Michael Jackson, BA's Head of Alliances and Franchises, said: "All the members are committed to developing the alliance further for the benefit of both customers and the airlines. With eight high quality members we serve more countries than any other alliance."

Oneworld's rival the Star Alliance this year plans to add three new members to its network. Asiana Airlines, Spanair and LOT Polish Airlines will join within the next 12 months, Star announced at its Chief Executive Board meeting last weekend in Shanghai. Once the new carriers are fully integrated, Star will have 17 airline members and says it has no plans to slow growth.

Anyone know what these "three new types of ticket" are?

Yes, please get some non-stops on HKG-ORD or HKG-DFW.

AA will be starting ORD-AMS soon... That's a nice one... (though I can't remember where I read that....)

[This message has been edited by ScottC (edited 06-11-2002).]

A significant expansion of code-sharing between the alliance's members.

This would be a welcome change http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

From the oneworld website:

Hong Kong: oneworld - the global airline alliance comprising Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas – is to launch six new types of ticket for travel across the carriers’ combined networks. Three of the new fare products are unveiled today:


* Student Visit Passes are a special version of the alliance’s established Visit Passes, offering young people travelling to any of the world’s continents the most flexible and best value multi-airline air pass.

* The oneworld Circle Trip Explorer fare is similar to the established oneworld Explorer, but specially developed for travellers who want to fly between Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia without circumnavigating the globe.

* The oneworld Circle Pacific, for travellers wishing to fly between Asia, North America, South America and Australasia - circling the Pacific Ocean, as the name of the ticket implies.

http://www.oneworld.com/pressroom/re...ls.cfm?dID=188

Circle Pacific is not new. We've known about it for years! They've just never bothered to advertise it properly.

There's also some sort of CIRIND (Circle Indian Ocean?) fare. Apart from its existence, I don't know any details, but its name kind of reminds me of the same sort of itinerary as this proposed Circle Trip Explorer fare, which also, btw, exists already. Didn't someone post some info on this one about a month ago?

FewMiles..

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What is new is that these fares will now be offered in all countries. The press release mentions that these "new" fares have been available in "select" countries ... rather annoying to know a fare exists and be unable to originate at some cities along a valid routing. Now that is (finally) corrected and Oneworld starts having more of a worldwide aspect.

IBM?

I think a consortium of oneworld FlyerTalkers would do a better job. At least we understand what is involved in air travel. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

FewMiles..

------------------
[ FlyerTalkers' Resources on the Web ]
[ Unofficial Guide to AAdvantage ] [ Unofficial oneworld Info Desk ]

How is this the case? Star has 14 members and I thought they served many more places.

Quote:

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Asiana Airlines, Spanair and LOT Polish Airlines will join within the next 12 months, Star announced at its Chief Executive Board meeting last weekend in Shanghai.

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Is it just a coincidence that oneworld's meeting was in Hong Kong? There's no Star carrier from Shanghai.

How is this the case? Star has 14 members and I thought they served many more places

Redundancy. Where does TG fly outside of Thailand that no other star alliance carrier flies? That makes one country that the other carriers already fly to. Between UA, LH, VG, and SQ, they probably cover 95% of their country route network.

Is it just a coincidence that oneworld's meeting was in Hong Kong? There's no Star carrier from Shanghai.

I admit that I don't see the connection, but probably not. The last one was in Santiago, so I would imagine it has more to do with hub cities.

I would suggest that the various partner airlines take it in turns to host the meetings, and this time was Cathay Pacific's turn, last time was Lan Chile's turn. Next time look for it to be at the home of another one of the partner airlines.

Any chance oneworld will ever get "enhanced" enough for RTW tickets to give full mileage credit on all airlines also in coach? Right now it's a joke. For example, there are only 3.5 carriers out of 8 which give full AAdvantage miles for M class: AA, AY, LA, and BA (for some countries of residence, 0 for others). CX 0, EI 0, IB 30%, QF 70%. CX even has a better FF agreement with Qualiflyer than with their oneworld partner AA. Quite amazing.

NM, that was actually what I meant, but you said it more clearly. Odd, though, that Santiago has hosted two in a relatively short time.