airberlin will become a full member of oneworld effective March 20, 2012, adding Europe’s sixth largest carrier to the global airline alliance. Austrian airline NIKI, also a member of the airberlin group, will join oneworld at the same time as an affiliate member. British Airways is sponsoring its entry into the alliance.
oneworld will add to the alliance’s network in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, and throughout South and Central Europe. It will add almost 70 destinations to the alliance’s map, extending oneworld’s global coverage to some 840 destinations in 150 countries, served by more than 9,000 departures a day.
Joining oneworld will also strengthen airberlin’s competitiveness, enabling it to offer customers a global network of airline partners.
When airberlin joins oneworld members of its topbonus frequent flyer program will be able to earn and redeem mileage awards on all oneworld partners – American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and almost 20 affiliated airlines.
Also from March 20, the 120 million members of the established oneworld airlines’ frequent flyer programs will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on airberlin and NIKI.
airberlin’s network – serving more than 160 destinations in 40 countries – will be covered by oneworld’s full range of alliance fares and sales products from April 1, 2012.
Currently all oneworld’s active member airlines serve Germany, flying to a total of seven gateways. airberlin will add another 18 destinations in its home country. Since joining the alliance in July 2010, airberlin has implemented code-sharing with seven oneworld partners - American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malév Hungarian Airlines, S7 and Royal Jordanian.
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