Oneworld officially welcomes Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines will join Oneworld early next year after accepting a formal letter of invitation from the alliance yesterday.
JAL is the largest airline in Asia Pacific in terms of both revenue and passengers carried and is the largest airline yet to join a global alliance.
Five other members of the JAL Group will also join Oneworld as affiliates – JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-Air and Japan Transocean Air.
JAL already has interline e-ticketing links in place with American Airlines and British Airways. It expects to connect with Cathay Pacific within the next few months and with the rest of the alliance members by early next year.
Malév and Royal Jordanian are also set to join the alliance early in 2007.
Malev has interline e-ticketing in place with four existing Oneworld carriers – British Airways, American, Cathay Pacific and LAN, and expects to link up with Aer Lingus, Iberia and Qantas this month, followed by Finnair next month, and the rest by early 2007.
Royal Jordanian has delayed implementing its interline links until moving its IT systems to a new platform. With this now underway, it expects to begin links next month, starting with British Airways.
In the months ahead, all three new partners will launch employee training and communications programmes.
American Airlines chairman and chief executive Gerard Arpey said: “Adding Japan Airlines, together with Malév and Royal Jordanian, is one of the most significant developments since oneworld’s launch seven years ago.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive