aword from oneworld: May 2004

1 de junho de 2004

oneworld carriers lead the honours at Airline of the Year awards: oneworld™ member airlines have again outshone members of the other groupings in the latest airline industry honours, providing further evidence of the alliance's lead in terms of quality membership.

oneworld's eight partners took five top places in the 2004 OAG Airline of the Year Awards, presented in London this month. Only one of Star's 15 members picked up any of the top honours, with SkyTeam's six airlines managing just one trip to the winners podium between them.

oneworld members also outshone their rivals in the number of nominations received - 19 in total - against Star's 15 and SkyTeam's two, although the latter's members elect Continental, KLM and Northwest added a further five to its collection.

British Airways took two top awards - Best Airline Based in Western Europe and Best Transatlantic. Cathay Pacific was named Best Transpacific, LanChile Best in Central/South America and the Caribbean, and Qantas Best in Australasia/Pacific.

The awards, now in their 22nd year, are based on votes by a worldwide poll of business travellers.

oneworld airlines also emerged with flying colours in what claims to be the largest independent survey of the airline industry, winning more plaudits than carriers in the other two global alliance alliances combined. Last month's Skytrax Airline of the Year "barometer of airline passenger opinions" featured oneworld carriers in 17 placings, against 14 by Star members and two by SkyTeam partners.

oneworld itself was named the World's Leading Airline Alliance in the most recent World Travel Awards, which describes itself as the travel industry's number one awards scheme, based on votes cast by80,000 travel agencies professionalsfrom more than 200 countries.

Mexico's Torreon comes on-line as oneworld's 577th destination: Torreon, the Mexican business and industrial centre, is to join the oneworld network on 1 August when affiliate American Eagle launches daily Embraer EMB-145 regional jet services between its own Dallas/Fort Worth hub and the city's Francisco Sarabia airport, which has the three-letter code TRC. It will become the 577th destination worldwide served by the alliance, and the 11th in Mexico.

A number of the region's biggest companies are based in Torreon, including the country's main dairy industry and the world's leading denim producer. Automotive, electronic, textile, brewery, transportation logistics and varied service industry sectors also operate there, alongside its tourism and golf attractions.

AA launches three new European routes: American Airlines has launched two new daily European routes with a third to follow this winter. It started flying last month between New York JFK and Brussels and between Boston and Manchester. The latter route will operate throughout the summer, replaced from November with flights between the North of England airport and Miami.

Qantas to add Adelaide-Auckland: Qantas is to start direct flights between Adelaide and Auckland from December, with an initial three services a week. The airline already operates more than 200 flights a week across the Tasman, connecting Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

 

AA to fit more powerports and bigger bins on MD80s it acquired with TWA: American Airlines is to upgrade the MD80s it acquired with its take over of TWA to bring them up to the same customer service standards as the rest of the group's fleet by late next year. Based on feedback from the airline's flight attendants and customers, the changes include installing powerports in every First Class seat and providing an additional 45 outlets in the Coach cabins, and providing larger overhead storage bins.

Iberia ups frequencies to Berlin and Lima: Iberia has doubled frequencies between its Madrid base and Berlin to twice-daily and added an eighth weekly service between the Spanish capital and Lima. The Spanish carrier also serves the German capital daily from its Barcelona hub.

 

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 - enabling them 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. Together, its members serve more than 575 destinations in 135 countries. oneworld offers more alliance fare and sales products, serving more markets, than all its competitors combined. Its members' 1.900 aircraft operate nearly 8.000 flights a day.

ends