LanChile and Aer Lingus board the "alliance that revolves around you"

01 juin 2000

Aer Lingus and LanChile tomorrow (June 1) begin offering the full range of oneworld™ customer services and benefits.

They take the full membership of oneworld to eight - with four joining in a little more than a year since the alliance was launched in February 1999. This represents amongst the most rapid growth of any of the world's global airline alliances.

In first year, oneworld has also established itself as one of the most widely recognised, premier airline brands, helping millions of travellers reach more places more easily and for greater value.

To ensure they can deliver the full oneworld customer promise, Aer Lingus and LanChile join the "alliance that revolves around you" following thorough employee communications and training programmes and after scores of man years of work to link their computer systems to those of the other oneworld carriers.

Both airlines are committed to matching the highest customer services standards demanded of all oneworld carriers.

Don Carty, chief executive of American Airlines and the current chairman of the oneworld governing board, said: "We warmly welcome the customers of Aer Lingus and LanChile on board oneworld and are delighted to extend the benefits of the world's most customer-focussed alliance to travellers from and to Ireland and Latin America. Both carriers are fine additions to our alliance, with strong reputations for high quality service."

Larry Stanley, Group Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, said: "All of us at Aer Lingus are very pleased to be working with our new colleagues in building the world's leading and most customer focussed airline alliance, and ensuring the legend 'oneworld revolves around you' continues to be demonstrated for customers."

Enrique Cueto, LanChile's Chief Executive, said: "This is a great day for LanChile, as we take our place beside some of the best airlines in the world and substantially expand the service we offer our customers. We look forward to welcoming on board new customers from around the world and demonstrating to them our dedication to providing world class service to and from Latin America."

The two newcomers will take the number of destinations served by oneworld members to 559 destinations worldwide. oneworld carriers employ 269 100 people and operate fleets of 1 852 aircraft.

Notes to editors

1 oneworld enables each carrier to offer customers services and products that it cannot provide by itself, responding to changes in the global airline marketplace. These include:

  • Closer linking of the member airlines' frequent flyer programmes, enabling members of the frequent flyer programmes to earn and redeem miles on any eligible flights and fares of the oneworld alliance airlines. Qualifying flights also count towards frequent flyer tier status. (American Airlines AADVANTAGE and British Airways Executive Club members can earn and redeem miles and earn tier status credit on all eligible flights except each other's direct routes between Europe and the Americas).
    Top tier frequent flyer cards with a common element of branding, to ensure members receive the appropriate recognition and privileges to which they are accustomed no matter on which of the airlines they are flying.
  • Access to the member airlines' 340 plus lounges for eligible members of their frequent flyer schemes, no matter on which of the oneworld airlines they are travelling, along with priority check-in, standby and waitlisting, and preferred seating and boarding
  • smoother transfers for passengers travelling across the global networks of the oneworld carriers
  • greater support, with employees of each airline equipped to assist and care for customers travelling with any of the oneworld airlines
  • greater value, through a range of round-the-world products, including oneworld Explorer fares.

    2 In oneworld's first year of operation, its member airlines:
  • Carried almost 200 million passengers - equivalent to one in 30 of the world population.
  • Flew 2,2 billion miles (3,5 billion kms) - equivalent to around 12 return trips to the Sun.
  • Operated around two million flights - with a oneworld airline departure somewhere around the world every 14 seconds.

    3 LanChile and Aer Lingus join the grouping as Canadian Airlines ceases to be a member, as previously announced, following its purchase by Air Canada. Air Liberte has ceased to be affiliated to oneworld following the sale by British Airways of its stake in the French carrier.