Air Berlin joins One World Alliance

[avlawyer82]

Hi all

For those One World alliance supporters, I have received an update from One World in respect to the Air Berlin joining ceremony. They advise as follows:

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oneworld News [/TD]

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[TD="align: left"] airberlin set to join oneworld tomorrow 19 March 2012
airberlin will become part of one world[SUP]® [/SUP]tomorrow, adding the second biggest airline in Germany and the sixth biggest in Europe overall, to the world's premier global airline alliance. Austria's NIKI, also a member of the airberlin group, will join one world as an affiliate member at the same time - at start of operations on Tuesday 20 March 2012.
Its joining ceremony - which can be viewed live via webcast - will be the first airline media event at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which will be airberlin's new home base and Europe's newest hub, when it opens on 3 June. It will also witness the first aircraft to appear in front of the new airport terminal - and the appearance of the first airberlin aircraft to be painted in the special one world alliance livery.
The event will be attended by the heads of all one world member airlines, hosted by airberlin Chief Executive Hartmut Mehdorn. They will include:

• American Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive, and Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, Tom Horton.
• British Airways Chief Executive Keith Williams.
• Cathay Pacific Airways Chief Executive John Slosar
• Finnair President and Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen
• IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh.
• Iberia Chief Executive Rafael Sánchez-Lozano.
• Japan Airlines Chairman Masaru Onishi.
• LAN International Chief Executive Damian Scokin
• Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce.
• Royal Jordanian Chief Executive Hussein Dabbas.
• S7 Group Chief Executive Vladislav Filev.
• Member elect Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.
• oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby.

Also attending will be NIKI Managing Directors Christian Lesjak and Otmar Lenz.
You can watch airberlin's one world joining ceremony live via a webcast from 2 pm Berlin time (1 pm GMT) or on demand later. To view it, go to airberlin - Your Airline. Flug online buchen - airberlin.com Please note that this website will not be accessible until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
About airberlin
Since its launch in 1978, airberlin has grown into Germany's second largest airline - and the sixth biggest in Europe in terms of passengers boarded - after taking over dba and LTU and gaining stakes in Austria's NIKI and Switzerland's Belair.
It serves 162 destinations in 40 countries, carrying more than 35 million passengers in 2011. Its fleet comprises 170 aircraft with an average age of five years, making it one of the most modern and fuel efficient fleets in Europe, contributing towards a long-term reduction in emissions. The group employs 9,200 staff.
It has developed from its origins in the shorthaul leisure market to cater also for business travellers with its Euro Shuttle service providing high frequency connections between many of the continent's key destinations and now also flies longhaul. It offers the full-range of services associated with a full-service network carrier, including its frequent flyer programme topbonus, and, for Business Class passengers and top tier cardholders, lounges, priority check-in and, for all passengers, free drinks and meals or snacks on every departure.
On its shorthaul services, it offers a single-class cabin. On its longhaul routes, it offers two-classes, with a premium business cabin and individual in-flight entertainment screens for each passenger.
airberlin's hubs are Berlin Tegel (moving to Brandenburg in June), Dusseldorf, Palma de Majorca and Vienna. Among its international destinations, it serves one world hubs Helsinki, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Moscow Domodedovo and New York JFK.
About one world
one world aims to be the airline alliance of choice for the world's frequent international travellers. It brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - airberlin (from midnight tonight), American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, and around 20 affiliates including Austria's NIKI, American Eagle, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. Malaysia Airlines is on track to join later in 2012, with India's Kingfisher Airlines also a member elect. Malev Hungarian Airlines and Mexicana are inactive members of the alliance.
Between them, one world's active member airlines:

• Serve some 800 airports in 150 countries, with more than 8,750 daily departures.
• Offer more than 550 airport lounges for premium customers.
• Carry almost a million passengers a day on a combined fleet of nearly 2,500 aircraft.
• Generate some US$ 100 billion annual revenues in total.

one world 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 one world network and more airport lounges. one world also offers more alliance fares than any of its competitors.
one world is current holder of more international awards for airline alliances than any of its competitors - named the Best Airline Alliance by Global Traveler in itsGT Tested Reader Survey 2011 Awardsfor the second year running,the World's Leading Airline Alliance in the 2011 World Travel Awards, for the ninth consecutive year, and the Best Airline Alliance 2011 in Australian Business Traveller's debut awards.
For more news from one world, see www.oneworld.com/news-information/oneworldnews/
For media queries only:

Michael Blunt
Vice-President Corporate Communications
[email protected]
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So if anyone is up on the 20th - you can watch the ceremony online.

Regards
avlawyer82

 

[k3nnis]

Come on Malaysia Airlines, can't wait for them to be officially on the system

 

[ozmille]

very very interesting... about the same pricing in J as Finnair. Now looking at the seats.

*edit* and for the same price I think I prefer AY with flat seats

 

[burrco]

To mark the occasion - I think I will have some beer and currywurst tonight .

 

[Bundy Bear]

Also interesting is that Etihad are an Air Berlin codeshare partner, what is the chances of Etihad going over to Oneworld, and ditching Virgin Australia as a Frequent Flyer partner.

 

[samh004]

Also interesting is that Etihad are an Air Berlin codeshare partner, what is the chances of Etihad going over to Oneworld, and ditching Virgin Australia as a Frequent Flyer partner.

But they're with Virgin because they didn't like how Qantas were treating them and their CEO is good buddies with Borghetti isn't he?




 

[elbarto]

Malev and Mexicana logos have disappeared from the OW website. Does that mean that Mexicana have finally exited (or booted) from OW some two or three years after they ceased ops?

 

[Timba-Jet]

With Malev gone and Kingfisher just about gone, Air Berlin is much needed good news for OW and their loyal customers with Etihad as a backer AB seem in good hands.

On a side note. Mexicana then Malev, the M trend is not a good sign for Malaysian.....

 

[k3nnis]

LOL I hope Malaysian will stay for a longgg time in Oneworld

With Malev gone and Kingfisher just about gone, Air Berlin is much needed good news for OW and their loyal customers with Etihad as a backer AB seem in good hands.

On a side note. Mexicana then Malev, the M trend is not a good sign for Malaysian.....

 

[Danger]

The QF website has been updated with Air Berlin's FF earning details added here.

A LONEx fare earns one points per mile which is a positive.

 

[samh004]

You can watch airberlin's oneworld joining ceremony live via a webcast from 2 pm Berlin time (1 pm GMT) or on demand later. To view it, go to airberlin - Your Airline. Flug online buchen - airberlin.com Please note that this website will not be accessible until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be working for me, keep getting an error

 

[Danger]

Air Berlin appears to have introduced a Platinum level to their topbonus FF program, to equate with oneworld Emerald. There are some interesting benefits, listed here, including a gourmet menu on board and "hold seat free", their 'Platinum shadow', as a published benefit.

 

[samh004]

Looking at the privileges I really wish Qantas offered evening check-in here!

It appears Platinum only gets the same 40% Gold bonus on miles though. And the Gourmet Menu is just certain options that are slightly better than chips and M&M’s I guess. So I assume it’s an extra charge usually, or just a confirmed meal if they usually sell out of a certain choice. Perhaps Virgin could offer similar for their Platinums here!

The exclusive parking areas also sound like a good idea that could be adopted over here. Insert your FF card into the machine and receive a special parking permit then park in a special area, but pay the same rates as everyone else. You can’t argue that’s Valet, as Valet is not the same rate!

 

[browski]

Worst Airline Route Map ever.

To make this event a bit more relevant to an aussie based frequent flyer, can anybody tell me which destinations in Asia are serviced by Air Berlin? I can see:
coughet-Berlin Tegel
coughet - Abu Dhabi

Their other flights from Bangkok seem to be discontinued. Are there any other flights to/from Asia?

 

[Berlin]

Air Berlin appears to have introduced a Platinum level to their topbonus FF program, to equate with oneworld Emerald. There are some interesting benefits, listed here, including a gourmet menu on board and "hold seat free", their 'Platinum shadow', as a published benefit.

I wonder if these benefits will also apply for One World Emeralds? Doesn't really say anything about it so I'm not so sure if you'd get the "gourmet menu" as a QF Platinum. By the way- they are way nicer than M&Ms or chips, had a few of them in the past and have all been quite tasty. Then again- I first grew up in Germany and second even like most of QF's domestic meals so I'm probably not the person to judge by

Another thing just coming up in my head- does anyone know about any code share deals with QF? They got them with AA, BA and so one but haven't heard anything about Qantas.

 

[drewbles]

Worst Airline Route Map ever.

To make this event a bit more relevant to an aussie based frequent flyer, can anybody tell me which destinations in Asia are serviced by Air Berlin? I can see:
coughet-Berlin Tegel
coughet - Abu Dhabi

Their other flights from Bangkok seem to be discontinued. Are there any other flights to/from Asia?

I think the clue is in the name... Air Berlin.

Perhaps you meant Malaysian Airlines for your Asian travel requirements?



Seriously though, I think this is great. Having flown whY with AB numerous times around Europe, I'm very pleased to see them in here. Excellent service (I was a nobody 'Top Bonus' member and the crew were great) and the new A320's are sparkling. German efficiency at its finest

 

[Berlin]

Seriously though, I think this is great. Having flown whY with AB numerous times around Europe, I'm very pleased to see them in here. Excellent service (I was a nobody 'Top Bonus' member and the crew were great) and the new A320's are sparkling. German efficiency at its finest

I agree, they've always been much better than cranky old LH in my eyes. Usually pretty new planes and friendly staff. Plus- they always had a little sandwich or something for Why passengers, even years ago when they were pretty much a LC carrier. And some food ALWAYS wins me over!

 

[Danger]

Air Berlin announces Chicago route - Business Traveller