oneworld reinforces global lead as only alliance with South American airline

oneworld is to be the only global airline alliance with a member in South America from the end of January, reinforcing its position as the airline grouping of obvious choice for truly global air travel.

oneworld was already the only airline alliance with a member offering a full network within Australia, in Qantas.

Now, with Brazil’s Varig leaving Star from the end of January, it will be the only airline grouping with any representatives in the Americas south of Mexico, with LAN Airlines, LAN Express and LAN Peru already part of oneworld and LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador joining early in 2007.

[GADS_NEWS]For travellers planning truly global trips, this makes the oneworld Explorer round-the-world fare an even more compelling choice. For those interested in traveling around South America, it makes oneworld’s Visit South America pass an equally compelling choice – just as oneworld’s Circle Pacific fare is for those planning to fly around the continents bordering that great ocean.

Eleven more airlines are joining oneworld this year – Japan Airlines, plus affiliates JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-Air and Japan Transocean Air, plus

Malév Hungarian, Royal Jordanian, Dragonair and the two additional LAN affiliates.

They will expand the alliance’s network by almost 100 destinations, giving a total of some 700 airports in almost 150 countries worldwide.

Three more destinations join network, in Europe and Latin America: Three more destinations and one more country are lining up to join the network served by oneworld:

• The former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be the 137^th country served by oneworld from late March, with British Airways launching services to Sarajevo, the historic gateway to the country’s thriving tourist region, with an initial three Boeing 737s a week from London Gatwick.
• Puerto Madryn has become the alliance’s ninth destination in Argentina, with LAN launching seasonal services to the Pantagonian port – gateway to the Valdes Peninsula Natural Heritage Site and one of the world’s best known locations for whale watching – from 28 December until 4 March with an initial two Airbus A319 round trips a week to and from its Santiago hub.
• Dresden is to be the alliance’s tenth destination in Germany, with British Airways serving the important cultural, political and economic centre from London Gatwick with daily Boeing 737s.

BA resumes services to Calgary and Port of Spain: British Airways is to resume services to Trinidad and Tobago’s Port of Spain from London Gatwick from March, with three Boeing 777s a week via Barbados. It will be the airline’s tenth destination in the Caribbean. Port of Spain is already on the oneworld network, through American Airlines. The move follows the resumption by British Airways of passenger services to Calgary, with an initial five Boeing 777s from London Heathrow sincee 1 December. Calgary was already on the oneworld network through American Airlines.

American to add five new routes: American Airlines and its American Eagle affiliate, which is also part of oneworld, has announced five new routes for early 2007. American itself will link Austin with Seattle daily from 10 April, using two-class MD80s, and fly between Chicago O’Hare-Shannon non-stop from 1 May, with daily Boeing 757 during the summer peak. Currently the airline serves the Irish port in conjunction with its daily Chicago-Dublin service.

American Eagle will connect Miami with the Mexican gateway of Cozumel from 2 March with daily ATR72 turboprops. It will also launch two new links between Chicago O’Hare and cities in Alabama from 10 April – Birmingham with twice daily Embraer ARJ145s and Mobile daily with ERJ140s.

Iberia to serve Gibraltar and Algiers from Madrid: Iberia has added Gibraltar to its network with daily Airbus A319s to and from Madrid, timed to offer smooth connections at the airline’s main hub to its domestic and international networks. The move follows a recent accord between the Spanish, British and Gibraltar governments, opening up Gibraltar’s airport to more services. Gibraltar is already part of the oneworld network, with affiliate GB Airways, which operates as a British Airways franchisee, serving the airport from London Gatwick.

Iberia is also linking Algiers with its Madrid hub from 7 January with an initial two return flights a week, operated by Airbus A319s. The airline says the route is being opened „to meet the growing demand of Spanish business travellers and Algerians living in Spain“. Algiers is also already on the oneworld network through services by British Airways.

Cathay Pacific relaunches passenger flights to Shanghai: Cathay Pacific has resumed passenger services to Shanghai after a 16-year break, with daily frequencies to and from its Hong Kong hub. Its wholly owned subsidiary Dragonair, which will join

oneworld as an affiliate in 2007, also serves this route, with its flights also carrying the CX code, 16 times a day. Shanghai is already on the oneworld network through services by American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Qantas.

oneworld in brief: oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business – American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Finnair and Aer Lingus, plus their dozen affiliates. Japan Airlines, Malév and Royal Jordanian will join them early next year as members, along with Dragonair, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador as affiliate members.

The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges. oneworld is the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of carriers, using just electronic tickets.