April news round-up

12 April 2002

A regular review of news from oneworld™, the leading global airline alliance, and its members.

For further information, see contact details at the end of this release


SUMMER SEES LAUNCH OF 25 NEW ROUTES: Almost 25 new routes will this summer be joining the worldwide network served by members of the oneworld alliance as they build on their commitment to deliver more customer services and benefits.

The eight carriers – Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas – already serve some 575 destinations around the world. Nine of the new routes have been launched in recent weeks:



From To Frequency Airline
Helsinki Hong Kong Three a week Finnair
Dublin Alicante Two a week Aer Lingus
Washington DCA New York JFK Five a Day American Eagle
New York JFK Oakland Twice daily American Airlines
Phoenix San Jose Four daily American Airlines
Boston Seattle Daily American Airlines
Boston San Diego Daily American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Montreal Six a week American Airlines
New York La Guardia Raleigh/Durham Five a day American Airlines

Among the routes that will be innaugurated or resumed in the next two months are:

From To Frequency Start date Airline
New York JFK Tokyo Narita Daily 19 April American Airlines
New York JFK Seattle Daily 1 May American Airlines
Boston Bermuda Daily 1 May American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Boise Two a day 1 June American Eagle
Dublin Faro One a week 3 June Aer Lingus
New York JFK Punta Cana, Dominican Rep Four a week 15 June American Airlines
New York JFK Santiago, Dominican Rep Daily 15 June American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Anchorage Daily 15 June American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Buffalo Daily 15 June American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Guatemala Daily 15 June American Airlines
Dallas/Fort Worth Tokyo Narita 11 a week 15 June American Airlines
Los Angeles Lihue, Hawaii Daily 15 June American Airlines
Chicago O'Hare Anchorage Daily 15 June American Airlines
Boston Santo Domingo Daily 15 June American Airlines

oneworld IS THREE: oneworld has just celebrated its third birthday. In its three years so far, the alliance has virtually doubled in size. With founding members American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas joined by Finnair, Iberia, Aer Lingus and LanChile.

Today, oneworld airlines serve 574 destinations in 134 countries and territories, with more than 8,500 flights every day – that's the equivalent of an aircraft taking off or landing every five seconds right around the clock.

oneworld enters its fourth year adding more value than ever
before to its members. Its eight airlines expect to benefit by almost US$1 billion this year from the various relationships between them - through revenue generation, protection and feed, and savings from joint purchasing and shared airport and city facilities.

PLANS ACCELERATED TO ADD MORE CUSTOMER BENEFITS: Plans to deepen working relationships between oneworld eight member airlines – Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas – are being accelerated, delivering more benefits for customers and adding more value for shareholders. A series of developments will be set in train during the coming months. Details will be announced in due course.

FARES DISPLAY GIVEN MAJOR UPGRADE ON ONEWORLD.COM: Major improvements have been made to the way oneworld displays its main fare products on www.oneworld.com. A new Global Products page has been added to the website, giving full details of the three main tickets – Explorer, Visit Passes and worldflyer – with facilities to help visitors plan their journeys using the alliance fares.

The new Global Products page, accessible from the oneworld home page, links to separate pages giving details of each of the fare products, tips on how to plan trips using them, sample itineraries, available routes, prices for the Explorer and Visit passes, and details on how to make bookings.

oneworld Explorer is a round-the-world ticket that can be tailored around an individual customer's own requirements, offering tremendous flexibility and value for money. Prices are based on the number of continents visited, and the cabin selected - economy, business or First. Flights on all eight oneworld airlines are included.

The Visit Passes give passengers the freedom, choice and flexibility to explore the continent of their choice, using a combination of oneworld carriers, again offering great value.

worldflyer offers companies and organisations in selected European countries – including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and now also Switzerland and the Netherlands - the opportunity to buy in bulk, at special rates, flexible tickets on specific routes within the continent.

Most of these oneworld fare products were the first of their kind to be offered by any of the global airline alliances.

LANCHILE INTRODUCES ITS OWN VISIT PASS: LanChile has introduced a Visit Chile air pass, offering passengers flights to multiple Chilean destinations with savings of up to 70 per cent. Similar to oneworld's own Visit passes, the tickets must be bought in conjunction with an inbound flight with the carrier. Three air pass coupons cost US$250, covering services to 14 destinations throughout the country.

EXPRESS LANES AT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS EXPANDED TO 19 US AIRPORTS: Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby tier members of any oneworld airline's frequent flyer programmes can use the designated security lanes opened by American Airlines for its premium passengers at 19 US airports: Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Los Angeles, Boston, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Newark, Kansas City, Cleveland, Reno, Detroit, Houston Intercontinental, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, California, Seattle and Sacramento. Express facilities are planned at other US airports.

AA ADDS ALMOST A MILE MORE LEGROOM: American Airlines has completed its programme to install "More Room Throughout Coach" across all jet aircraft in its fleet, including the airplanes acquired with TWA last year. This has meant removing a total of 8,730 seats on nearly 900 aircraft – providing a total of almost a mile of additional legroom, or, as AA put it, enough to fit in the Golden Gate Bridge.

IBERIA OPENS SPAIN'S BIGGEST LOUNGE TO BUILD SOUTH AMERICAN LEAD: Iberia has opened Spain's largest airport lounge for premium passengers, at Madrid's Terminal 1. More than twice the size of the facility it replaces, it can comfortably hold more than 250 people, with, says Iberia, "everything a traveller may need for rest, entertainment, or work". It will be used mainly by First and Business Class passengers – and business class passengers from other oneworld carriers and Sapphire and Emerald tier members of oneworld frequent flyer programmes – flying to or from Latin America, European countries outside the so-called Schengen agreement, North Africa and South Africa.

It has separate areas for First and Business Class passengers, separate smoking and non-smoking areas, television rooms, hydromassage showers, a conference room and business centre, featuring PC booths with colour printers, free internet and email access, fax service via email, wireless connections and power outlets for laptops, and a LAN printer. For those who want to rest, it has sleeping areas with fully reclining chairs. Iberia sees it as a significant enhancement to Madrid's leading position as Europe's gateway to Latin America.

QANTAS AND BA TRIPLE SIZE OF SINGAPORE FIRST CLASS LOUNGE: oneworld partners British Airways and Qantas have opened at new joint First class lounge at Singapore's Changi – three times larger than the old one. The Terminal 1 facility has seating for 164, with five private "relaxation spaces", each furnished with a chaisse lounge, armchairs and sofas, a dining area, private bathroom and a host of other luxury fixtures and fittings. The lounge also has a fully equipped business centre, with private work stations, fax and photocopying machines and telephones.

THIRD OF CATHAY'S FLEET NOW HAS NEW BUSINESS PRODUCT: Cathay Pacific says its new Business Class product should be installed on a third of its longhaul fleet by the end of this month, following its launch late last year. It features one of the longest and widest stretch-flat seats in the sky inclined at a gentle 13 degrees and with sufficient space for someone 6 ft 3 ins to stretch out flat - an exclusive bar and reception area on board, a private dressing room, laptop power in every seat and USB data sockets connecting to the Tenzing in-flight email system. Cathay is the first airline in the world to offer an onboard high-speed data network. The new business class is also installed with AVOD - Audio and Video on Demand.

QANTAS EXTENDS IMPROVED CITYFLYER SERVICE TO BRISBANE: Qantas has extended its upgraded CityFlyer domestic service to Brisbane, offering:
  • An increase in frequencies on its Sydney and Melbourne routes - to every half hour at peak times and every hour during the rest of the day on Sydney, and hourly on Melbourne.
  • Dedicated gates, check-in and customer service desks on departure and baggage carousels on arrival
  • Standalone, easy-to-read information screens.

    Qantas Executive General Manager Sales and Marketing John Borghetti said: "The Sydney-Melbourne CityFlyer service, launched in July last year, has been a great success. This service was designed with the busy traveller in mind, and allows customers the quickest and easiest way to travel between Sydney, Melbourne and now Brisbane."

    CHANGE FOR GOOD CAN STILL TAKE OLD EURO CURRENCIES: If you find old old coins or notes from any of the European countries that have now swapped their currencies for the new Euro, don't just throw them away – they could still make a real difference for the children of the world.

    UNICEF has been granted special authority by the European Union to accept the old currencies right through to the end of June. These means that donors to Change for Good, oneworld's global charitable cause, will still be able to give any old Irish Punts, Spanish Pesetas, Finnish Marrka, French Francs, German Marks and indeed any other currencies from the Eurozone countries, even after the notes and coins have ceased to be legal tender. You can donate them on board most oneworld airlines' flights.

    BA, CATHAY AND LANCHILE VOTED THE BEST: oneworld members were to the fore in the 2002 Airline of the Year awards, which sponsors Skytrax Research of London, claim is the world's largest passenger survey. Cathay Pacific Airways was named Best Asian and Best Transpacific Airline, with British Airways judged Best Transatlantic Airline and Best Longhaul Business Class. LanChile was selected Best Airline South America. The awards are based on more then four million nominations received during August 2001 and March 2002 gathered through on-line customer surveys, questionnaires and in-flight and airport interviews. For further details, see http://www.airlinequality.com/Awards/best_airline.htm

    CATHAY HUB NAMED CARGO AIRPORT OF THE YEAR: Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong hub has been named 2002's Cargo Airport of the Year 2002 by the London-based Air Cargo News, in recognition of the airport's commitment to improving customer services.

    PHOTO EXHIBITION CELEBRATES IBERIA'S 75TH BIRTHDAY: An exhibition of photographs tracing the history of Iberia, which this year celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding, is currently on tour throughout Spain, visiting 12 of the country's main airports.

    FINNAIR STAFF TO CHANGE INTO A FRESH, FINNISH LOOK: Finnair has unveiled a new uniform for its employees with "Finnishness" the key word in its design and flexibility a key driver in its execution. All 4,000 uniformed Finnair staff have now started wearing the new clothing, created for the airline by Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, a Finnish designer living in Paris.

    For further media information
    oneworld Michael Blunt, PR +44 7831 376595 +44 20 8738 5173 www.oneworld.com
    Aer Lingus Media Relations +353 1 886 2573 www.aerlingus.ie
    American Airlines Corporate Communications +1 817 967 1577 www.amrcorp.com
    British Airways Press Office + 44 20 8738 5100 www.britishairways.com/press
    Cathay Pacific Corporate Communications + 852 2747 5378 www.cathaypacific.com
    Finnair Corporate Communications + 358 981 84970 www.finnair.com
    Iberia Communications + 34 91 587 7462 www.iberia.com
    LanChile Communications + 562 565 2856 www.lanchile.com
    Qantas Public Affairs + 61 2 9691 3468 www.qantas.com