ONEWORLD° | General News & Discussion

[FM 2258]

One more from www.airliners.net:

[Chamal nr. 1]

Hey everybody...

I was thinking about if maybe Royal Air Maroc whould join an airline alliance?
They are the third biggest african airline, they have a modern fleet and they have e great network wich get's bigger and bigger...
If they are going to join a alliance who would it be OneWorld or skyteam. They work really close with Iberia their fregruant flyer program is almost the same and you will get the same points dosen't matter if it's a iberia flight or royal air maroc flight!
But at another side they could also become a member of skyteam since they have a big code share deal with airfrance and delta airlines...

???

[Iggis]

Russia's S7 Airlines to join oneworld alliance



Russia's leading domestic airline, S7 Airlines, is to join oneworld®, the world's leading quality airline alliance.

After being unanimously elected on board by the grouping's existing ten member airlines, which include some of the best and biggest names in the industry, S7 will become part of oneworld, offering the alliance's full range of services, benefits and fares, during 2010.

As a first step, its network will be added from 1 June to the Global Explorer round-the-world fare offered by all oneworld member airlines and selected carriers that are not part of the alliance.

British Airways will support S7 through its 18-month alliance implementation programme, as its oneworld sponsor.

Its addition to oneworld will link one of the most extensive networks covering Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with oneworld's unrivalled global network, as the only alliance including airlines based on every continent.

S7 serves 72 destinations worldwide - 38 of them in Russia. It will add 54 cities to the oneworld map - 35 of them in Russia. It will bring eight countries onto the alliance's network - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

This will expand oneworld's network to nearly 750 destinations in almost 150 countries, served by a combined fleet of 2,300 aircraft operating almost 8,500 flights a day, carrying more than 330 million passengers a year.

S7 is Russia's leading airline in terms of domestic passenger carryings, customer service quality and innovation. It is majority privately owned.

It is the first carrier in Russia to convert to an all Western-built Airbus and Boeing fleet and the first to adopt full electronic ticketing and on-line reservations and sales. It holds the internationally recognised IOSA (International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit) certification, renewed in October 2008.

It offers two-class in-flight product to international standards on all departures - Business Class and Economy.

Its fleet, decorated in a distinctive bright green livery, includes 26 Airbus A320 family types, seven Airbus A310 and two Boeing 767s, with an average age of nine years.

S7 carried 6 million passengers in 2008, with a bigger share of the domestic Russian air travel market than any other airline. Including its international network, it is Russia's second biggest carrier.

S7's main hub Moscow Domodedovo - the capital's most modern airport - is served also by oneworld members American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Royal Jordanian. Its secondary hubs are Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. Its international destinations include oneworld hubs Madrid and Bangkok.

Besides Moscow Domodedovo, oneworld's existing members currently serve three other destinations in Russia - Moscow Sheremetyevo, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

In the months ahead, S7 will adapt key internal processes into line with oneworld requirements, link its IT systems to those of its oneworld partners and carry out an extensive employee training and communications programmes to ensure that S7 employees worldwide are ready to provide oneworld's customer services and benefits from day one.

An exact date will be confirmed for it to join during 2010, once all its pre-joining requirements are sufficiently progressed.

Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British Airways, S7's oneworld sponsor, said: "S7 is a perfect fit for oneworld. It has a strong focus on customer service and safety and its network will be able to integrate effectively with the existing oneworld network. oneworld's priority is the quality rather than quantity of member airlines, which is why British Airways is delighted to be developing our relationship with S7 further by acting as its sponsor into the alliance."

oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch added: "S7 fills one of oneworld's few remaining membership ‘white spaces' with a carrier that matches our alliance's demanding quality requirements. It will expand oneworld's presence substantially in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, while enabling S7 to offer its customers a truly global network on quality partners. We are delighted to welcome them to the oneworld alliance."

S7 Chief Executive Vladimir Obyedkov said: "S7 Airlines is delighted to be joining the world's leading quality global airline alliance. Becoming part of oneworld is one of the most significant steps in S7's history. It will enable us to offer our customers a truly global network served by partners who include some of the best known and most admired airlines in the world, while our frequent flyers will have more opportunities to earn and redeem mileage rewards and enjoy all their other benefits. It will also strengthen us financially, through revenues from passengers transferring to our network from our oneworld partners and the cost reduction opportunities the alliance offers."

http://www.oneworld.com/ow/news/details?objectID=18020

[DarkLite]

I can't wait until Mexicana is a full member, should be exciting to see the one world livery on it

[Go Ahead Eagles]

Oneworld installs travel stations in New York,Stockholm

The oneworld airline alliance has announced that it is rolling out its travel stations at New York JFK airport - the first hub outside Europe to be equipped with one of the units - and Stockholm Arlanda.

Created in collaboration with Lonely Planet, the stations offer free guides, travel tips and advice to holidaymakers through interactive touchscreen technology.

Users can also download language guides, audio casts and other useful pieces of information relating to 28 different destinations to their smartphones or laptops.

The launch of the travel stations in Stockholm and New York follows their introduction in Amsterdam, Brussels and Milan in September last year.

Filip Lemmens, commercial director of oneworld, said: 'The oneworld travel stations are aimed at building awareness of oneworld in some of our key target markets in a novel, interactive and interesting way.

'Their attractive and interactive design and the fantastic information provided by Lonely Planet reflect oneworld key virtues - the world-class quality of our airlines, the breadth of their networks and our determination to provide customers with great value and service.'

Some of the world's biggest airlines are part of the oneworld alliance, including British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines.

[Go Ahead Eagles]

Oneworld Alliance sees 25 per cent increase in revenues

Over $850 million in revenue was generated by the global airline alliance oneworld over the past year, setting a new record.

In 2008, interline revenues within the alliance, from over eight million passengers transferring between member airline flights, reached $2.4 billion – an increase of 10 per cent, year-on-year.

The total combined revenues from airfares and sales activity of $850 million constituted a rise of 25 per cent over the previous year.

Revenues for the alliance grew at a faster rate than overall revenues from passengers among the oneworld member airlines, which showed a collective increase of just 3.5 per cent.

US regulators are expected to issue their ruling by late October on the anti-immunity application submitted by American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Royal Jordanian on transatlantic service co-operation. The carriers are also asking for approval from European Union regulators.

In oneworld’s key European target markets of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland sales were especially strong, according to a statement issued by the alliance. An increase of 12 per cent in the number of businessflyer corporate sales accounts was reported, bringing the number to nearly 10,000.

Another record was set with 75 per cent of the alliance’s revenue generated by airfares coming from premium-class travel.

[hkskyline]

By doraemon from HKADB :

[dmarney]

image hosted on flickr

[nomarandlee]

I thought we had a single airline alliance thread where this article would fit better...........

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,6221529.story

Airlines: Push for new global alliances raises regulatory issues
Share of foreign markets has potential to increase dramatically for winners, shrivel for losers

By Julie Johnsson

Tribune Newspapers

December 31, 2009

A high-stakes game of "Risk" is set to unfold in 2010, with Delta, American and United Airlines vying to amass the greatest global presence as Asian and European governments open air travel markets to greater competition.

This is no Parker Brothers board game, however.

The carriers and their marketing alliance partners are battling over lucrative routes that could reshape international flying. Adding to the drama: a deep division within the Obama administration as to whether the three carriers should be allowed to divvy up global markets with their overseas partners.

The competition is fiercest for control of routes between the U.S. and Japan, where American and Delta are dueling for ownership stakes in Japan Airlines Corp.
"Japan is by far the largest market in the Pacific," said Mark Schwab, senior vice president for alliances, international and regulatory affairs at United Airlines. "The stakes raised are illustrative of how important global alliances have become for all of the carriers."

Taking advantage of a new Open Skies agreement announced this month by the U.S. and Japanese governments, the three U.S. airlines are plotting virtual mergers with overseas carriers to expand their reach in Asia.

But there are only two Japanese airlines to partner with, and one, All Nippon Airways, is taken. That's why Delta and American each have offered to invest more than $1 billion in JAL, which is the largest airline in Asia but is bleeding cash and burdened with billions of dollars in pension obligations.

Losing would be a blow to either carrier, but it would be felt more keenly by American Airlines, which would lose its largest Asian partner and would become a bit player, with less than 10 percent of the U.S.-Japan market.

"We don't intend to lose; we don't think we'll lose," said Will Ris, senior vice president for government affairs at AMR Corp. and American Airlines. But if that happens, American will have to cut flights, Ris warned. "The fact is, our ability to serve Japan will be extremely limited."

As that duel unfolds, United and Continental are moving ahead on a partnership with All Nippon, requesting antitrust immunity in a Dec. 23 filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation. United also is preparing to bid for landing rights at Haneda, a major Tokyo airport, once it opens to U.S. carriers as part of the trade treaty, Schwab said.

"The three of us working in the Pacific will be quite a strong offering," he added.

Their virtual merger is based on another designed for the trans-Atlantic market, which starts Friday. United, Continental, Air Canada and Lufthansa will coordinate passenger perks, plan schedules and prices, and divvy up revenues on flights regardless of which carrier operates the flight.

Delta formed a similar partnership this year with Air France-KLM Group. American Airlines hopes to win approval for a tie-up with British Airways and Iberia that has twice been vetoed by U.S. regulators.

The Transportation Department generally has supported these close partnerships. Ticket prices have fallen over the last decade as competition has heated up among alliances. The partnerships also provide a means to cut costs and generate new revenue for U.S. carriers that are barred from large-scale mergers with foreign carriers.

"Once you have an Open Skies agreement and unleash the creativity, all kinds of innovative things happen," said Jeff Shane, a former Transportation Department policymaker who now is advising Delta.

Some worry that this policy is paving the way for the three airline alliances, United's Star, Delta's SkyTeam and American's OneWorld, to start behaving as megacarriers, crushing competition in two major arenas.

"When you get down to the point in a market as huge as the trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific where there's only three players, then you have pricing power," said Hubert Horan, a Phoenix-based aviation consultant who formerly led international network planning for Northwest Airlines.

In a Dec. 21 filing, antitrust officials for the U.S. Justice Department voiced similar concerns about the proposed American-British venture. They warned that fares between London and Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and New York could rise by up to 15 percent if the two largest competitors across the North Atlantic were allowed to coordinate pricing.

Transportation officials, who have the final say on American's antitrust application, are under no obligation to act on these concerns.

But observers say the strident comments show that Delta will face a tough political fight and plenty of regulatory scrutiny if it wins JAL. The two carriers, combined with Korean Air, another Delta partner, would control 55.6 percent of the market.

"The parties can expect a massive investigation from both DOT and DOJ," said Roger Fones, an adviser to American and former lead airline antitrust regulator for the Justice Department.

jjohnsson@tribune.com


Outlook 2010: Airlines
This is one in a series of articles looking at what lies ahead for various sectors in the new year

..

[way of thinking]

Bankrupt Mexicana Airline May Restart Flights in December, Official Says

Grupo Mexicana de Aviacion SA may return to the skies in December if unions and other creditors accept a 1.9 billion-peso ($155 million) proposal to rescue the bankrupt airline, a government official said.

Link - Bloomberg

[way of thinking]

Actually - Mexicana is saved and will return in mid-december

For the moment they will operate a fleet of 30 A320 to hold their expenses for maintenance, staffing, etc. down. Planned routes are domestic as well to US, CAN and Centralamerica
Source: Link (in German language, sorry!)

[way of thinking]

Siberian Airlinenes (S7) all set to join Oneworld on Monday

Senior representatives from all oneworld's established and designate member airlines - led by British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh and oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch - will gather in Moscow then for a formal joining ceremony hosted by S7 Group Chief Executive Vladislav Filev.

You can watch S7's oneworld joining ceremony live via a webcast at 11 am Moscow time (8 am GMT) or on demand later. To view it:

* In English
* In Russian

The fishtails:



PR on Oneworld Website

[Iggis]

S7 Airlines is now part of oneworld



• Russia's leading domestic carrier added to world's premier airline alliance

• oneworld network in Commonwealth of Independent States substantially expanded

• Double miles offer to frequent flyer to celebrate

• Moscow ceremony marks latest landmark in oneworld's breakthrough year

S7 Airlines today became part of oneworld®, adding Russia's leading domestic carrier to the world's premier global airline alliance. Its subsidiary Globus joined at the same time, as an affiliate member of oneworld.

They now offer oneworld's full range of services and benefits, joining an alliance of best-in-class airline partners from every region around the world - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas and Royal Jordanian and almost 20 affiliated airline.

Customers benefit from expanded global network

S7 and Globus between them serve 90 destinations and 28 countries. They add 55 destinations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States to the oneworld schedule, and nine countries, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This has almost tripled the number of destinations served by oneworld in Russia, the CIS and other parts of East Europe to a total 84 destinations in 26 countries.

It expands oneworld's global coverage to a total of more than 750 destinations in almost 150 countries, served by 8,500 departures a day operated by a combined fleet of some 2,250 aircraft, carrying 300 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of more than US$85 billion. When oneworld member designates airberlin, Europe's fifth largest airline, and Kingfisher Airlines, India's leading carrier, join in the coming 18 months, that will grow further to some 900 destinations, served by 9,500 daily departures operated by 14 airlines and 20 affiliates, carrying 340 million passengers a year on a combined fleet of 2,500 aircraft, generating annual revenues of US$90 billion.

More: http://www.oneworld.com/ow/news/details?objectID=23584 and http://www.s7.ru/en/about_us/news/20...announced.html

http://www.oneworld.com/

[briker]

Oneworld should kick American out, simply because its planes look shite!

[caelus]

Latam Airlines will be the next.........

[Rohne]

LATAM (only if approved) won't be a single airline but a holding, consisting of two airlines: LAN and TAM (exactly: two airline groups - the respective airlines plus their affiliates). LAN already is a OneWorld member, and will most probably stay there. But whether TAM will switch to OneWorld is far from sure. It's still more probable that TAM will stay with StarAlliance, even if the merger goes through.

[dreamery]

Originally Posted by Rohne

... But whether TAM will switch to OneWorld is far from sure. It's still more probable that TAM will stay with StarAlliance, even if the merger goes through.

If the merger goes through (and that is not for sure, I think) than TAM is going to leave Star in the course of time, I suppose. Avianca Brazil is at the moment excluded from the Star Alliance entry but will follow soon.

Avainca Brazil´s CEO Efromovich says he hopes Avianca Brazil can still become part of Star when the rest of the group formally joins, which is expected in early 2012. If not, Avianca Brazil will join shortly after its sister carriers.

Source: Star-acceptance-of-avianca-taca-excludes-avianca-brazil

So LATAM would be sitting in two boats while LATAMs competitor number one, new TACA/Avianca has a more homogenous structure. This would be a disadvantage in comparison, I suppose. How should the frequent flyer programms be organized effectively in interaction with their alliance partners? Do you think AA, IB, will accept bonus miles from TAM or the other way round UA, TP will accept miles from LAN? If not this would be a disadvantage for LATAM in comparison with their main competitor TACA/Avianca.

But nevertheless Star is fighting to keep TAM as star member.

Star-prepares-for-battle-to-win-lan-tam-allegiance

[asiapacific]

Originally Posted by dreamery

If the merger goes through (and that is not for sure, I think) than TAM is going to leave Star in the course of time, I suppose. Avianca Brazil is at the moment excluded from the Star Alliance entry but will follow soon.

Source: Star-acceptance-of-avianca-taca-excludes-avianca-brazil

So LATAM would be sitting in two boats while LATAMs competitor number one, new TACA/Avianca has a more homogenous structure. This would be a disadvantage in comparison, I suppose. How should the frequent flyer programms be organized effectively in interaction with their alliance partners? Do you think AA, IB, will accept bonus miles from TAM or the other way round UA, TP will accept miles from LAN? If not this would be a disadvantage for LATAM in comparison with their main competitor TACA/Avianca.

But nevertheless Star is fighting to keep TAM as star member.

Star-prepares-for-battle-to-win-lan-tam-allegiance

you are right. LATAM will be the most important target for both Oneworld and Star alliance. Both airlines have a lot of destinations, routes in South America. They also operate fair-to-good service. I suppose LAN will continue staying with oneworld because it is truly profit. The rest depends on TAM. TAM has been just a member of Star for a short time and I suppose, it is not yet a great deal of Star. Once more, OW is now seeking a member in Brazil. That is the reason why AA and IB have tightened codeshare agreement with GOL.

Right now, with the new established group Avianca/Taca, only Skyteam is left behing in South America. LATAM will choose OW or Star, no chance for Skyteam.

[way of thinking]

LAN expects to close its acquisition of Colombia's Aires within the next month and close its merger with Brazil's TAM by mid 2011.

... the merger with TAM is on pace to close in the second quarter of next year. ...

source: Link

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Little Big Berlin - Movie

[way of thinking]

Here are some news concerning the LATAM merger and the related discussion about the membership in Oneworld (LAN) respectively the Star Alliance (TAM)

TAM-president Barroso said the alliance decision could take "up to two years" to make, adding that it is "possible" LATAM could remain a member of both alliances.

Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht said dual membership can't be ruled out. "Everything is possible at this stage," he explained. "It depends especially on what makes sense for the customer and how deep the integration of [LAN and TAM] goes."

Source: Link to ATW