oneworld alliance appoints BZ.COMM! as German PR agency

oneworld® , the leading quality global airline alliance, has appointed BZ.COMM! as its PR agency for Germany.

BZ.COMM! will represent the alliance throughout the country as its media relations representative and will also provide the group with strategic marketing and communications advice and support, working with its member airlines and their own established PR representatives in Germany.

Germany has been designated by oneworld as a "key target markets", where the grouping provides additional focus and resource to support and co-ordinate the alliance activities of its member airlines.

Of the almost 135 countries on the oneworld network, Germany is one of only two served by all eight of its existing airlines, which include some of the biggest and best names in the industry - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Iberia, LAN, Finnair and Aer Lingus.

BZ.COMM!'s appointment comes as the alliance prepares to add three more partners in early 2007 - Japan Airlines, Malév and Royal Jordanian, all of which also serve Germany.

Together, the existing eight members account for around 10 per cent of the German air travel market, with flights to and from eight cities - Berlin (both Schonefeld and Tegel), Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and, from April 2007, Nuremberg. They offer a total of some 1.400 flights a week with direct services to 18 destinations in Europe, the Americas and Asia and the smoothest of connections from there to the 600 plus destinations in 135 territories served by the alliance worldwide. Last year, they provided around 12 million seats on flights to or from the country.

Germany is one of only four countries worldwide where the alliance currently offers its businessflyer sales product, with around 2.000 small and medium sized enterprises registered to take advantage of the substantial discounts the product offers on their international travel in return for a more regular relationship with the alliance's carriers.

oneworld Vice-President Corporate Communications Michael Blunt said: "oneworld wants to raise its profile in Germany, where together our airlines represent a real alternative choice to the dominant home carrier for consumers who want to travel virtually anywhere internationally. We are looking forward to drawing on the energy, enthusiasm, creativity, contacts and skills of the team at BZ.COMM! to increase awareness of the alliance in this important market."

About oneworld

oneworld 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. Together, its members serve more than 600 destinations in some 135 countries.