oneworld® Alliance Celebrates 25 Years and Almost Nine Billion Passengers Since 1999

The oneworld® alliance launched in 1999 and now has a member airline’s flight taking off or landing every six seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its 13 member airlines have flown almost nine billion people in the past 25 years.

The alliance officially began on February 1, 1999 with American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas as its founding members. It was formed to create a seamless passenger experience and to reward frequent flyers with additional benefits (including some of the most generous lounge access of any of the three alliances).

oneworld® currently includes the following airlines:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• SriLankan Airlines

There are also 26 affiliate airlines and Fiji Airways as a oneworld® connect partner. Oman Air will become the 14th alliance member when it joins later this year.

Today, oneworld® member airlines serve more than 900 global destinations and offer customers access to more than 600 airport lounges, additional baggage allowances, the ability to earn and redeem miles across the network, and fast-track security lanes at select airports.

There are three tiers to oneworld® status with earning requirements varying by member airline (you earn this status when you earn elite status with member airlines). The tiers are:

Ruby

• Access to Business Class priority check-in
• Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
• Priority on waitlists and when on standby

Sapphire

• Access to Business Class lounges
• Access to Business Class priority check-in
• Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
• Priority on waitlists and when on standby
• Priority boarding
• When you fly on oneworld member airlines, you can check-in an extra baggage for free, in addition to your ticketed baggage allowance
• Priority baggage handling

Emerald

• Access to First and Business Class lounges
• Access to First Class priority check-in
• ‘Fast Track’ or ‘Priority Lane’ access at select airports worldwide
• Priority baggage handling
• When you fly on oneworld member airlines, you can check-in an extra baggage for free, in addition to your ticketed baggage allowance
• Priority boarding
• Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
• Priority on waitlists and when on standby

oneworld® is the smallest alliance in terms of members, but has bumped SkyTeam for the number two spot in revenue. Star Alliance is the largest across all metrics.

Robert Isom, American Airlines Chief Executive Officer and oneworld® alliance Chairman, said

We are happy to celebrate the world’s leading airline alliance with more than 200 million loyal customers around the globe. Together, we now operate more than 12,000 departures every day – equivalent to a oneworld member airline flight taking off or landing every six seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Highlighted by the recent opening of our first fully-branded oneworld lounge in Seoul in South Korea, we continue to expand the oneworld network around the world for the benefit of our customers. We look forward to the next 25 years of setting new standards in customer excellence and innovation.”

Anthony’s Take: I have flown oneworld® alliance airlines the least of the three major alliances. There are some on the list that I hope to check out in the future. Happy Anniversary, oneworld®!