Airline alliances

What is an airline alliance?

Airline alliances are formed when different airlines agree to substantially cooperate with each other. Advantages for customers include more destinations and more convenient connections, while the airlines benefit by feeding passengers to each other instead of to competitors. For travelers, the most obvious effect of airline alliances is codesharing whereby one airline will sell a seat on a flight with its own flight number, but the flight is performed by a different airline. (Note that not all airlines are part of an airline alliance, and not even all airlines within the same alliance do codeshares with each other.)

Although many airlines in an alliance have subsidiaries, the subsidiaries are often not members of the alliance which the parents are part of.

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 means for example that a 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 by other airlines in the same alliance. 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

Oneworld is the smallest alliance counting by the number of airlines. The member airlines are spread evenly around the world, so it is a workable option when planning a long multi-point trip such as for a round the world flight. It was the first alliance to introduce interlining e-tickets.

Members

Airline	Country	Hubs	Frequent flyer program	Lounges	IATA
American Airlines	United States	Charlotte, Chicago - O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York - JFK, New York - LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington - Reagan	AAdvantage	Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge	AA
British Airways	United Kingdom	London - Heathrow, London - Gatwick	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, Tokyo - Haneda, Osaka - Kansai	JAL Mileage Bank	Sakura Lounge	JL
LATAM Airlines	Chile	Santiago	LANPass	Lounge Neruda & Mistral	LA
Malaysia Airlines	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching	Enrich	Golden Lounge	MH
Qantas	Australia	Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth	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

SkyTeam

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 - Sheremetyevo	Aeroflot Bonus		SU
Aerolíneas Argentinas	Argentina	Buenos Aires - Ezeiza, Buenos Aires - Jorge Newbury	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 - Taoyuan, Taipei - Songshan, Kaohsiung	Dynasty Flyer	Dynasty Lounge	CI
China Eastern Airlines	China	Shanghai - Hongqiao, Shanghai - Pudong, Xi'an, Kunming	Eastern Miles		MU
China Southern Airlines	China	Beijing - Capital, Guangzhou	Sky Pearl Club		CZ
Czech Airlines	Czech Republic	Prague	OK Plus	Crystal Lounge	OK
Delta Air Lines	United States	Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York - JFK, New York - LaGuardia, Paris - Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma, 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, Seoul - 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

Star Alliance is a global network of airlines, and the world's 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 traveler 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 - Trudeau, Toronto - Pearson, Vancouver	Aeroplan	Maple Leaf Lounge	AC
Air China	China	Beijing - Capital, Chengdu, Shanghai - Pudong	Air China Companion/Phoenix Miles	VIP Lounge	CA
Air Dolomiti	Italy	Munich	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, Tokyo - Narita, Osaka - Kansai, Osaka - 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 - Taoyuan, Taipei - Songshan	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 - O.R. Tambo, 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 - O'Hare, San Francisco, Newark, Washington - Dulles, Houston - Bush, Cleveland, Guam, Tokyo - Narita	Mileage Plus	United Club, United Polaris Lounge	UA

Rail-air alliances

In some countries (especially those with extensive high speed rail networks) there are also cooperation agreements between airlines and railway operators, offering trains as a code-shared "flight" or other benefits to travelers. 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.

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