oneworld Just Got BiggerThis month, I have exciting news to share with you about oneworld. As I hope you know, oneworld is the premier global
airline alliance, linking the American Airlines network to those of
British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia,
LAN, and Qantas, plus a dozen of their affiliates. The oneworld Alliance enables American to offer air travelers more services and benefits than any single airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles and points across the expansive oneworld network, and access to hundreds of airport lounges. Ours is the only global alliance with a member in
South America (LAN) and
Australia (Qantas). And for four years running, oneworld has been voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the World Travel Awards. But we’re not resting on our laurels. In fact, we’re taking a major step forward this month as we welcome our first new members in six years:
Japan Airlines, Malév, and Royal Jordanian, as well as LAN affiliates LAN
Argentina and LAN Ecuador.
Japan Airlines (JAL), which, until now, was the largest airline in the world not aligned with a multiairline alliance, is the biggest carrier in the
Asia-Pacific region. Its network is a perfect complement to AA’s service to Japan and to the oneworld network overall. Along with five of its affiliate airlines, JAL will add nearly 50 destinations in Japan,
China, and throughout
Asia to the oneworld network. Connecting to JAL’s services will be a snap, as American and oneworld partners Cathay Pacific and Finnair recently transferred from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at Tokyo Narita (JAL’s main international hub), where we now operate alongside JAL and Qantas. For passengers, this consolidation produces substantially smoother and faster connections between oneworld carrier flights.
We’re also excited to welcome Malév Hungarian Airlines, one of the highest-quality carriers in Central and
Eastern Europe, to oneworld. Malév’s Budapest hub is one of the best in that fast-growing region, and its inclusion in oneworld will add 10 cities to our global network. We likewise welcome Royal Jordanian, the first airline from the
Middle East to find a home with any of the global airline alliances. Its base in Amman provides oneworld with one of the best hubs for traveling around the world’s fastest growing region for air travel.
The addition of Japan Airlines, Malév, and Royal Jordanian represents the biggest expansion of oneworld in its eight-year history, and we’re not stopping there. Also on April 1, we will welcome two additional Latin American carriers, LAN Argentina and LAN
Ecuador (both affiliates of Chile-based LAN). And later this year, we will welcome Cathay Pacific affiliate Dragonair, which has a large network to mainland China from its
Hong Kong base.
With these new members and affiliates onboard, the oneworld network will have grown to roughly 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries. With a fleet of almost 2,500 aircraft, oneworld carriers will collectively offer 9,000 departures each day.
What this means for you, among other things, is a world of new opportunities to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles. AAdvantage elite member privileges — such as priority check-in, lounge access, and preboarding privileges — have been expanded to include our new partners, whose networks will also be covered by oneworld’s alliance fares and sales products.
Together, the oneworld carriers are making it easier and more rewarding for you to get out and see the world — the whole world. If you would like to learn more about the world’s premier global airline alliance, please visit www.aa.com/oneworld. In the meantime, wherever in the world you’re going today, thanks for flying with us. Have a great trip.
Gerard J. ArpeyChairman & CEOAmerican Airlines