Airline alliances
What is an airline alliance?
A group of airline companies form an alliance with each other in order to provide additional value for their customers. Alliances provide a network of connectivity and convenience for international passengers and international packages. Alliances also provide convenient marketing branding to facilitate travelers making inter-airline codeshare connections within countries.
How does this apply to me?
- Airline alliances tend to coordinate their flights to ease connections, flying intercontinental flights to each other's hubs, adjusting schedules and grouping one alliance's flights at a single terminal at large airports. They code-share and interline with each other so that you can travel to many more destinations on a single ticket sold by your local airline.
- You can collect frequent flyer miles when flying on an alliance partner airline. This would mean a frequent flyer passenger with Qantas can claim mileage when flying with another OneWorld airline such as British Airways.
- Additionally, status levels that you have on one airline are generally recognized with another partner airline. For example, a 'Morning Calm' status with Korean Air will automatically give you 'Elite' status when flying with another airline in the SkyTeam alliance. Thus, you can check in at the Business Class counter, get priority luggage tags, getting emergency exit row seats assigned to you and priority boarding of the aircraft.
- Travelers can take advantage of a round-the-world ticket, a ticket with the ability to stop at a few countries around the world for a relatively lower price.
Oneworld
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Oneworld is the smallest alliance counted in number of airlines. The member airlines are spread evenly around the world, so it is a working alternative when planning a long multi-point trip such as a round the world flight. It was the first alliance to introduce interlining e-tickets.
Members
| Airline | Country | Hubs | Frequent flyer program | Lounges | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Berlin |  Germany | Berlin, Dusseldorf | topbonus | Exclusive Waiting Area | AB |
| American Airlines |  United States | Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington, D.C. | AAdvantage | Admirals Club | AA |
| British Airways |  United Kingdom | London-Heathrow | Executive Club | Various | BA |
| Cathay Pacific |  Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Asia Miles/Marco Polo Club | Various | CX |
| Finnair |  Finland | Helsinki | Finnair Plus | Finnair Lounge | AY |
| Iberia |  Spain | Madrid | Iberia Plus | Sala VIP | IB |
| Japan Airlines |  Japan | Tokyo-Narita & Osaka | JAL Mileage Bank | Sakura Lounge | JL |
| LAN Airlines |  Chile | Santiago | LANPass | Lounge Neruda & Mistral | LA |
| Malaysia Airlines |  Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching | Enrich | Golden Lounge | MH |
| Qantas |  Australia | Sydney & Melbourne | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Qantas Club | QF |
| Qatar Airways |  Qatar | Doha | Privilege Club | Premium Lounge | QR |
| Royal Jordanian |  Jordan | Amman | Royal Plus | Crown Lounge | RJ |
| S7 Airlines |  Russia | Moscow-Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk | S7 Priority | S7 Business lounges (Moscow, Novosibirsk) | S7 |
| SriLankan Airlines |  Sri Lanka | Colombo | FlySmiLes | Serendib Lounge | UL |
| TAM Airlines |  Brazil | Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia | TAM Fidelidade | VIP Lounge | JJ |
SkyTeam
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SkyTeam is the latest alliance to be formed. It has a particularly strong network in Europe.
Members
| Airline | Country | Hubs | Frequent flyer program | Lounges | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroflot | Russia | Moscow | Aeroflot Bonus | SU | |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas |  Argentina | Buenos Aires | Aerolíneas Plus | Salón Cóndor | AR |
| Aeroméxico |  Mexico | Mexico City, Monterrey | Club Premier | Salón Premier | AM |
| Air Europa | Spain | Madrid-Barajas | Flying Blue | UX | |
| Air France |  France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle | Flying Blue | Various | AF |
| Alitalia |  Italy | Rome-Fiumicino | MilleMiglia | Club Freccia Alata | AZ |
| China Airlines |  Taiwan | Taipei | Dynasty Flyer | Dynasty Lounge | CI |
| China Eastern Airlines |  China | Shanghai (Hongqiao & Pudong), Xian,Kunming | Eastern Miles | MU | |
| China Southern Airlines | China | Beijing, Guangzhou | Sky Pearl Club | CZ | |
| Czech Airlines |  Czech Republic | Prague | OK Plus | Crystal Lounge | OK |
| Delta Air Lines | United States | Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, NYC-JFK, NYC-La Guardia, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, SeaTac, Tokyo-Narita | SkyMiles | Delta Sky Club | DL |
| Garuda Indonesia |  Indonesia | Jakarta-Soekarno Hatta, Bali | GarudaMiles | Garuda Indonesia Executive Lounge | GA |
| Kenya Airways |  Kenya | Nairobi | Flying Blue | Simba Lounge | KQ |
| KLM |  The Netherlands | Amsterdam | Flying Blue | KLM Crown Lounge | KL |
| Korean Air |  South Korea | Seoul (Incheon & Gimpo), Busan | SKYPASS | Korean Air Lounge | KE |
| Middle East Airlines |  Lebanon | Beirut | Cedar Miles | Cedar Lounge | ME |
| Saudia |  Saudi Arabia | Dammam,Jeddah,Riyadh,Medina | Al-Fursan | SV | |
| TAROM |  Romania | Bucharest | Flying Blue | RO | |
| Vietnam Airlines |  Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | Golden Lotus Plus | Golden Lotus Lounge | VN |
| Xiamen Airlines | China | Xiamen, Fuzhou, Hangzhou | Egret Card | MF |
Star Alliance
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Star Alliance is a global network of airlines, and the worlds largest airline alliance.
Cooperation includes seamless code share flights and baggage interlining and, as a new trend, an increased degree of co-location in airport terminals.
Members of any Star Alliance frequent traveller program (FT) can credit miles or points flown in many booking classes on any Star Alliance operated aircraft.
"Gold" Star Alliance FT members get an extra 20 kg or "piece" of baggage; reciprocal access to most Star Alliance members' lounges; priority boarding and priority wait listing.
Members
| Airline | Country | Hubs | Frequent flyer program | Lounges | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adria Airways |  Slovenia | Ljubljana | Miles & More | Senator Lounge | JP |
| Aegean Airlines |  Greece | Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion | Miles&Bonus | Aegean Club Lounge | A3 |
| Air Canada |  Canada | Calgary, Montréal, Toronto & Vancouver | Aeroplan | Maple Leaf Lounge | AC |
| Air China | China | Beijing, Chengdu & Shanghai-Pudong | Air China Companion/Phoenix Miles | VIP Lounge | CA |
| Air Dolomiti | Italy | Verona, Trieste | Miles & More | Senator Lounge | EN |
| Air India |  India | Delhi,Mumbai | Flying Returns | Maharaja Lounge | AI |
| Air New Zealand |  New Zealand | Auckland | Airpoints | Koru Club | NZ |
| All Nippon Airways | Japan | Tokyo (Haneda & Narita, Osaka (Kansai & Itami) | ANA Mileage Club | Club ANA Lounge | NH |
| Asiana Airlines | South Korea | Seoul-Incheon | Asiana Club | Asiana Lounge | OZ |
| Austrian Airlines |  Austria | Vienna | Miles & More | Senator Lounge | OS |
| Avianca |  Colombia | Bogotá | LifeMiles | Avianca VIP Lounges | AV |
| Brussels Airlines |  Belgium | Brussels | Miles & More | HON, Senator Lounge | SN |
| Copa Airlines |  Panama | Panama City | ConnectMiles | Copa Club | CM |
| Croatia Airlines |  Croatia | Zagreb | Miles & More | Senator Lounge | OU |
| Egypt Air |  Egypt | Cairo | EgyptAir Plus | EGYPTAIR | MS |
| Ethiopian Airlines |  Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | ShebaMiles | Cloud Nine and Sheba Miles Lounges | ET |
| EVA Air | Taiwan | Taipei | Infinity MileageLands | EVA Air Lounge | BR |
| LOT |  Poland | Warsaw | Miles & More | Executive Lounge | LO |
| Lufthansa | Germany | Frankfurt & Munich | Miles & More | HON/Senator Lounge | LH |
| SAS Scandinavian Airlines |  Denmark,  Norway,  Sweden | Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm | Eurobonus | Scandinavian Lounge /Business Lounge | SK |
| Shenzhen Airlines | China | Shenzhen | PhoenixMiles | ZH | |
| Singapore Airlines |  Singapore | Singapore | KrisFlyer | SilverKris Lounge | SQ |
| South African Airways |  South Africa | Johannesburg, Cape Town | Voyager | Cycad/Baobab Lounge | SA |
| Swiss International |  Switzerland | Zurich | Miles & More | Swiss Lounge | LX |
| TAP Portugal |  Portugal | Lisbon | Victoria | Top Executive Lounge | TP |
| Thai Airways |  Thailand | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi | Royal Orchid Plus | Royal Lounges | TG |
| Turkish Airlines |  Turkey | Istanbul-Atatürk | Miles & Smiles | THY CIP Lounge | TK |
| United Airlines | United States | Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Houston, Cleveland, Guam & Tokyo | Mileage Plus | Red Carpet Club | UA |
Rail-air alliances
In some countries (especially those with extensive high speed rail networks) there are also cooperations between airlines and railway operators, offering trains as a code-shared "flight" or other benefits to travellers. For more on the topic see rail air alliances.
Frequent flyer programs
- Main article: Frequent flyer programmes
You should choose your Frequent Flyer airline in an alliance carefully. Although you may think it is intuitive to join the airline you fly most, you should be aware that privileges offered are often different and frequent flyer points may be more generous under a different airline in the same alliance.
By way of example, to reach Star Alliance Gold status (affording you priority wait listing and boarding, extra checked baggage allowance and use of lounges even when flying on any Star Alliance economy flight) requires only 20,000 miles in one year with Aegean Airlines' Miles&Bonus program, but some other member program require 50,000 or even 100,000 miles in a year to be flown before awarding Gold status.