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Oneworld
Oneworld logo.svg
Launch date 1 February 1999; 26 years ago (1999-02-01)
Full members 13
Non-voting members 14 affiliates
Pending members 2
Destination airports 1,012
Destination countries 170
Annual passengers (M) 490
Fleet size 3,296
Headquarters
Management
Alliance slogan Travel Bright
Website

Oneworld (also written as oneworld) is a big group of airlines that work together. It's called an airline alliance. There are 13 main airlines in this group.

Oneworld started on February 1, 1999. Its main goal is to be the best choice for people who travel a lot internationally. Since December 2022, its main office has been in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States.

The airlines that are part of Oneworld include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines. Fiji Airways is also a special "Oneworld Connect" partner. Oman Air plans to join the group by 2024.

As of March 2020, all the airlines in Oneworld have 3,296 airplanes. They fly to about 1,000 airports in 170 countries. They carry over 490 million passengers each year, with more than 13,000 flights every day. Oneworld is the third-largest airline alliance in the world.

How Oneworld is Managed

Oneworld set up a special team called the Oneworld Management Company (oMC) in February 2000. This team helps the alliance grow and create new services for travelers. The oMC first started in Vancouver, Canada, and then moved to New York City in 2011.

The oMC is led by a CEO. This CEO reports to the Oneworld Governing Board. The Governing Board is made up of the leaders of each member airline. They meet regularly to decide the future plans for Oneworld.

Where Oneworld's Main Office Is

In 2011, Oneworld's main office moved from Vancouver, Canada, to New York City, USA. It shared space with some of its member airlines.

In December 2022, the Oneworld office moved again. It is now in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. This is the same city where American Airlines, one of its founding members, has its main office.

Oneworld's History

Starting a New Global Alliance

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Cathay Pacific is one of the airlines that helped start Oneworld.

Oneworld was first announced in London, United Kingdom, on September 21, 1998. The airlines that started it were American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines International, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. Oneworld officially began flying on February 1, 1999.

The alliance wanted to offer travelers many benefits, such as:

  • Easier connections when flying with different member airlines.
  • More help for passengers, no matter which member airline they were flying with.
  • More choices for special "round-the-world" tickets.
  • Better rewards for frequent flyers.
  • Access to more airport lounges around the world.
  • More flights and connections between member airlines.

Before starting, Oneworld trained about 220,000 staff members. This was to make sure everyone could deliver on the alliance's promises. When it launched in 1999, Oneworld airlines flew to 648 places in 139 countries. They carried 181 million passengers with 1,577 airplanes.

First New Airlines Join

Finnair, Airbus A350-900 OH-LWB 'One World' NRT (35926228120)
Finnair was the first new airline to join Oneworld after it started.

Finnair from Finland was the first new airline to join Oneworld on December 9, 1999. Then, Iberia from Spain joined on February 15, 1999. Both airlines became full members on September 1, 1999. They added over 50 new places to the Oneworld network.

On May 19, 1999, LAN Chile from Latin America decided to join. Its smaller airlines, LAN Express and LAN Perú, also joined. Aer Lingus from Ireland became the ninth member on December 2, 1999. LAN Chile and Aer Lingus joined on June 1, 2000. However, Canadian Airlines International left the group. This happened because Air Canada, which is part of a different alliance called Star Alliance, bought Canadian Airlines.

Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) was invited to join Oneworld in September 2003. But Swiss later decided not to join. It was bought by Lufthansa in 2005 and joined the Star Alliance instead.

Big Growth from 2005 to 2006

Royal Jordanian Airlines Airbus A319; JY-AYP@ZRH;07.04.2010 570eq (4500715784)
A Royal Jordanian airplane with the Oneworld logo.

The mid-2000s were a time of big growth for Oneworld. Malév from Hungary and Royal Jordanian from the Middle East decided to join in 2005. Royal Jordanian was the first airline from the Middle East to join any global airline alliance.

Japan Airlines, a very large airline group in Asia, also applied to join in October 2005. They officially accepted the invitation in June 2006. Five smaller airlines from the JAL Group also joined as partners.

JAPAN AIRLINES JA15XJ JA732J HND 28-JUN-2023
Japan Airlines airplanes showing the Oneworld logo.

All three of these airline groups—Japan Airlines, Malév, and Royal Jordanian—became full members on April 1, 2007. This made the Oneworld network much bigger. It now covered almost 700 airports in nearly 150 countries. They had 9,000 flights daily and carried about 315 million passengers each year.

On the same day, Aer Lingus chose to leave Oneworld. They wanted to become a low-cost airline, which didn't fit with Oneworld's focus on international travelers.

In February 2012, Malév stopped all flights because of money problems. It left Oneworld when the airline closed down.

Celebrating Ten Years in 2009

Oneworld 10 Years Anniversary
Oneworld 10th Anniversary logo
Boeing 777-223ER 'N796AN' American Airlines (14067564169)
An American Airlines airplane with the Oneworld logo.

In February 2009, Oneworld celebrated its tenth birthday. It had grown from 5 to 10 member airlines. Over ten years, its airlines had carried 2.5 billion passengers.

To celebrate, Oneworld put a new logo on about 40 of its airplanes. This new logo had the alliance name in big letters and the Oneworld symbol. It also had a special "10 years" watermark on its logo.

New Airlines Join from 2009 to 2011

S7 Airlines, VQ-BKW, Boeing 737-8ZS (38579312375) (2)
An S7 Airlines airplane with the Oneworld logo.

On May 26, 2009, S7 Airlines from Russia joined Oneworld. It became a full member on November 15, 2010. This added many new cities in Russia to the Oneworld network.

On November 10, 2009, Mexicana from Mexico also joined. Mexicana added 26 new places to the alliance map. However, Mexicana stopped all flights on August 28, 2010, because of money problems. It has not been an active member since then.

Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 (9M-MTE) at KLIA
A Malaysia Airlines airplane with the Oneworld logo.

Kingfisher Airlines from India planned to join in February 2010. But its entry was put on hold because of financial issues. Kingfisher Airlines stopped flying in February 2013.

On March 20, 2012, Air Berlin, a large airline from Germany, joined Oneworld.

Malaysia Airlines became a new member on February 1, 2013.

More Growth from 2012 to Today

Qatar Airways Boeing 777 (A7-BAF) arrives London Heathrow Airport 21September2014 arp
A Qatar Airways airplane in 2014. It was the first big airline from the Persian Gulf to join an alliance.

On June 11, 2012, SriLankan Airlines from Sri Lanka decided to join Oneworld. It became a full member on May 1, 2014. This made it the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join any alliance.

On October 8, 2012, Qatar Airways also decided to join Oneworld. Qatar Airways was growing very fast and had won awards for being a top airline. It was a big win for Oneworld because Qatar Airways was the first major airline from the Persian Gulf region to join a global alliance. It joined on October 30, 2013.

In February 2013, American Airlines and US Airways planned to merge. After the merger, US Airways left Star Alliance and joined Oneworld as a partner on March 31, 2014.

On March 7, 2013, LATAM Airlines Group chose Oneworld as its alliance. Some of its airlines, like LAN Colombia and TAM Airlines, joined Oneworld. LAN Colombia joined on October 1, 2013. TAM Airlines joined on March 31, 2014.

On August 15, 2017, Air Berlin stopped flying because of money problems. It left Oneworld on October 28, 2017.

On June 1, 2018, Oneworld started a new type of membership called Oneworld Connect. Fiji Airways was the first airline to join as a Connect partner on December 5, 2018.

On December 5, 2018, Royal Air Maroc from Africa decided to join Oneworld. It became a member on April 1, 2020, adding more flights in Africa.

On September 26, 2019, Delta Air Lines, which is part of the SkyTeam alliance, bought a part of LATAM. Because of this, LATAM Airlines Group left Oneworld on May 1, 2020.

N486AS JFK Landing 13L AS B737 990 ER One World Small
An Alaska Airlines airplane with the Oneworld logo.

On March 31, 2021, Alaska Airlines and its partner airlines joined Oneworld.

On June 20, 2022, Oman Air signed an agreement to join Oneworld by 2024.

In August 2023, MIAT Mongolian Airlines announced it would join as a Oneworld Connect member.

On December 3, 2023, Alaska Air Group announced plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines. If approved, Hawaiian Airlines will also become a Oneworld member.

Partner Airlines

Besides its main member airlines, Oneworld also has about 30 "affiliate" members. These are usually smaller, regional airlines that work closely with the main members. They help make the Oneworld network even bigger.

Some airlines have joined and then left Oneworld over the years. For example, Air Liberté and Regional Air were once partners with British Airways but later left. BA Connect and BMED also left when British Airways changed its plans.

Dragonair, a partner of Cathay Pacific, joined Oneworld in November 2007. It later became Cathay Dragon and then merged with Cathay Pacific in 2020.

Other airlines like GB Airways and Loganair also left Oneworld as British Airways changed its partnerships. Japan Asia Airways merged with Japan Airlines and left the alliance.

Member Airlines Today

American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas were the five airlines that started Oneworld.

Main Members and Their Partners

Member airline Joined Member affiliates
United States Alaska Airlines 31 March 2021 United States Horizon Air
United States SkyWest Airlines
United States American Airlines 1 February 1999 United States American Eagle
United Kingdom British Airways 1 February 1999 United Kingdom BA CityFlyer
United Kingdom BA EuroFlyer
Denmark Sun-Air
Hong Kong Cathay Pacific 1 February 1999
Finland Finnair 1 September 1999 Finland Nordic Regional Airlines
Spain Iberia 1 September 1999 Spain Iberia Express
Spain Iberia Regional
Japan Japan Airlines 1 April 2007 Japan Hokkaido Air System
Japan J-Air
Japan Japan Air Commuter
Japan Japan Transocean Air
Malaysia Malaysia Airlines 1 February 2013
Australia Qantas 1 February 1999 Australia QantasLink
Qatar Qatar Airways 30 October 2013
Morocco Royal Air Maroc 1 April 2020 Morocco Royal Air Maroc Express
Jordan Royal Jordanian 1 April 2007
Sri Lanka SriLankan Airlines 1 May 2014
  • Founding member
  • On routes operated on behalf of Alaska Airlines as Alaska SkyWest only
  • American Eagle flights are operated by Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines.
  • Independently operated franchise carriers using the British Airways name, livery and flight code
  • On routes operated on behalf of Finnair only
  • Iberia Regional flights are operated by Air Nostrum
  • QantasLink flights are operated by Alliance Airlines, Eastern Australia Airlines, National Jet Systems, Network Aviation and Sunstate Airlines. Alliance Airlines routes only count if they are operated for QantasLink.

Connect Partners

Connect partner Joined Connect partner affiliates
Fiji Fiji Airways 3 June 2018

Future Members

Future member Joining Future member affiliates
Oman Oman Air 2024
United States Hawaiian Airlines 2024

Suspended Members

Suspended member airline Joined Suspended Member affiliates Remarks
S7 Airlines 15 November 2010 19 April 2022 Stopped being active because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Past Members

Former member airline Joined Exited Member affiliates Remarks
Republic of Ireland Aer Lingus 1 June 2000 31 March 2007 Left the alliance in 2007 to change its business strategy.
Germany Air Berlin 20 March 2012 28 October 2017 Switzerland Belair
Austria Niki
Stopped flying on October 28, 2017.
Canada Canadian Airlines 1 February 1999 1 June 2000 Canada Calm Air
Canada Canadian North
Canada Canadian Regional Airlines
Canada Inter-Canadien
Founding member; was bought by Air Canada, a Star Alliance member.
Chile LATAM Airlines 1 June 2000 1 May 2020 Argentina LATAM Argentina
Brazil LATAM Brasil
Colombia LATAM Colombia
Ecuador LATAM Ecuador
Chile LATAM Express
Peru LATAM Perú
Left the alliance after Delta Air Lines, a SkyTeam member, bought a part of it.
Hungary Malév 29 March 2007 3 February 2012 Left the alliance after it had financial problems and closed.
Mexico Mexicana de Aviación 10 November 2009 28 August 2010 Mexico MexicanaClick
Mexico MexicanaLink
Stopped flying on August 28, 2010, due to financial problems.

Benefits for Travelers

Main Airports (Hubs)

Members Hubs Focus cities
Alaska Airlines Anchorage
Los Angeles
Portland (OR)
San Francisco
Seattle/Tacoma
Boise
San Diego
San Jose (CA)
American Airlines Charlotte
Chicago–O'Hare
Dallas/Fort Worth
Los Angeles
Miami
New York–JFK
New York–LaGuardia
Philadelphia
Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Washington–National
British Airways London–Gatwick
London–Heathrow
London–City
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Taipei–Taoyuan
Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Finnair Helsinki Stockholm-Arlanda
Iberia Madrid Barcelona
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Haneda
Tokyo–Narita
Osaka–Kansai
Osaka–Itami
Fukuoka
Nagoya–Centrair
Naha
Sapporo–Chitose
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Kota Kinabalu
Kuching
Penang
Qantas Adelaide
Brisbane
Melbourne
Sydney
Perth
Cairns
Darwin
Los Angeles
Singapore
Qatar Airways Doha
Royal Air Maroc Casablanca Marrakesh
Tangier
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia Aqaba
SriLankan Airlines Colombo–Bandaranaike

Sharing Airport Spaces

Oneworld airlines often share ticket counters, check-in areas, and lounges at airports. This makes it easier for travelers to connect between different Oneworld flights. It also means better facilities for everyone. They do this at about 50 airports worldwide.

Oneworld shared airport locations
City Country Airport IATA Terminals Exceptions When it started
Bangkok Thailand Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK West Wing September 28, 2006
Barcelona Spain Barcelona Airport BCN 1 September 1, 2009
Beijing China Beijing Capital International Airport PEK 3 American Airlines and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 2
British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and S7 Airlines at Beijing Daxing International Airport
Finnair partially at Beijing Daxing International Airport
March 26, 2008
Chicago United States O'Hare International Airport ORD 3 & 5 June 26, 2009
Dallas/Fort Worth United States Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport DFW A, B, C & D (all international flights) American Airlines partially in Terminal E June 26, 2009
Dubai UAE Dubai International Airport DXB 1 July 11, 2009
Frankfurt Germany Frankfurt Airport FRA 2 April 2009
Guangzhou China Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport CAN 1 Japan Airlines in Terminal 2 April 26, 2018
Helsinki Finland Helsinki-Vantaa Airport HEL 2 August 5, 2009
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport HKG 1 July 11, 2009
London England, UK London Heathrow Airport LHR 3 & 5 Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc in Terminal 4 October 29, 2009
Los Angeles United States Los Angeles International Airport LAX 4 & Tom Bradley International American Airlines partially in Terminal 5 June 30, 2009
Madrid Spain Madrid-Barajas Airport MAD 4 February 5, 2006
Manchester England, UK Manchester Ringway International Airport MAN 3 (British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia) Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways in Terminal 2

Finnair and Aer Lingus in Terminal 1

Mexico City Mexico Mexico City International Airport MEX 1 June 26, 2009
Miami United States Miami International Airport MIA Concourse D and E March 2011
Moscow Russia Sheremetyevo International Airport SVO British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways
New York City United States John F. Kennedy International Airport JFK 8 AA also has many domestic flights from LGA airport. Japan Airlines and Royal Air Maroc operated from Terminal 1 June 2019
Philadelphia United States Philadelphia International Airport PHL A (all international flights), B, C & F
Phoenix United States Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport PHX 4 February 26, 2014
San Francisco United States San Francisco International Airport SFO 2 & International American Airlines partially in Terminal 1 June 30, 2009
Shanghai China Shanghai Pudong International Airport PVG 2 Japan Airlines, Qantas, and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 1 March 29, 2009
Singapore Singapore Singapore Changi Airport SIN 1 Malaysia Airlines in Terminal 2
Qatar Airways and SriLankan Airlines in Terminal 3
Cathay Pacific in Terminal 4
July 2, 2009
Stockholm Sweden Stockholm-Arlanda Airport ARN 2 April 23, 2013
Tokyo Japan Narita International Airport NRT 2 October 31, 2010
Toronto Canada Toronto Pearson International Airport YYZ 3 (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Royal Jordanian) November 10, 2009

Easy Electronic Tickets

On April 21, 2005, Oneworld was the first airline alliance to let customers fly using only electronic tickets (e-tickets) across all its member airlines. This made travel much simpler.

Awards and Recognition

Oneworld has won many awards over the years for being a top airline alliance.

Awards and recognitions received by Oneworld
Year Organisation Award
2002 Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2003 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2004 Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2004 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2005 Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2005 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2006 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2007 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2008 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2009 Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards Overall Best Airline Alliance
2009 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2010 Skytrax World Airline Awards Best Airline Alliance
2010 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2010 Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2010 Awards Best Airline Alliance
2011 Australian Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2011 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2011 Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2011 Awards Best Airline Alliance
2012 Australian Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2012 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2012 Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2012 Awards Best Airline Alliance
2013 Premier Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2013 Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards Best Airline Alliance
2013 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2013 Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey 2013 Awards Best Airline Alliance
2014 Premier Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2014 Business Traveller Awards Best Airline Alliance
2014 Skytrax World Airline Awards Best Airline Alliance
2014 Air Transport News Best Airline Alliance
2014 World Travel Awards World's Leading Airline Alliance
2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards Best Airline Alliance

All airplanes belonging to Oneworld members have a Oneworld logo. It's about 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide. You can find it on the right side of the plane, near the front doors.

JA8941-oneworld-01
A Japan Airlines airplane with a special Oneworld design in 2007.

Japan Airlines' Special Oneworld Design (2007)

In 2007, Japan Airlines (JAL) painted two of its airplanes with a special Oneworld design. This was to celebrate joining the alliance. The design showed a large blue globe, which is the Oneworld symbol. It represented how easy and comfortable it is to travel with the alliance.

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An American Airlines airplane with the Oneworld logo in 2014.

Standard Oneworld Airplane Design

A new standard Oneworld design for airplanes was introduced in February 2009. This was part of the alliance's tenth anniversary. This design features the alliance name in very large letters, almost 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall. The name and logo are along the side of the plane. The airline's own name is in smaller letters at the front. Each airline still keeps its own unique tailfin, winglets, and engine designs.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Oneworld para niños

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Oneworld Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.