Ties That Bind

Ties That Bind
By admin


There's nothing monogamous about airline alliances. They're forever looking to saddle up with bigger, more powerful suitors as they look to one-up the competition and assume the top place on the aviation podium.
 

But as airlines become increasingly selective of who to bunk up with, the rest of us are left scratching our heads at the airport, wondering why we're boarding a Delta flight when we booked a Virgin ticket. 

Clearing the air
A brief introduction to airline jargon should make things more intelligible at least. Firstly, codesharing is a common practice where airlines jointly market each other's flights so they can sell tickets on a broader network at no cost. Then there's global airline alliances, which allow member airlines to codeshare across a much larger network with the additional leverage power of points and perks for customers.

Many people are familiar with the Star Alliance network, which has the most airline partners on its books. Oneworld is second in line with partners including Qantas and British Airways, and then there's Skyteam with perhaps lesser-known carriers like Delta and Aerolineas Argentinas.

The past 12 months have been busy for the alliance trio, with 12 airlines joining their ranks in 2012. But not all carriers are so inclined, with some of the major players like Virgin and Etihad opting out of the networks to forge partnerships with selected airlines instead.

Preferring to invest more energy into strategic relationships, Emirates president Tim Clark branded alliances a "product of late eighties thinking in an aviation world that bears little resemblance to today. As such they are anachronisms." And it seems the trend is catching on, with a number of airlines now partnering with carriers outside of their alliances in a bid for new business.

Coming to a sky near you
Qantas has been in the thick of the action of late, inking a five year partnership with Emirates last year as it looks to revive its flagging international operations. The deal will see Qantas shift its hub for European flights from Singapore to Dubai and dramatically boost the number of connections in Europe. But it will also spell the end to Qantas's 17 year venture with British Airways, which has been given the flick in favour of its Middle Eastern rival.

But the Flying Kangaroo is not the lone ranger in the partnership shuffle. Air New Zealand is also forging a new deal with Cathay Pacific on routes to Hong Kong; Etihad has struck up a commercial alliance with Air Berlin; and Virgin Australia has bought 60% of Tiger Airways and recently stumped up $99 million on a takeover of regional carrier Skywest.

Getting down to brass tacks
It's tough trying to keep tabs on which airlines have partnered up, but the knock on effects are relatively limited for passengers.

In terms of connections, airlines which turn their back on global alliances make up for it by forging stronger bonds with other airlines. Take Virgin Australia for example. While the airline is reticent to join a global alliance, it has struck up codeshare deals with seven other airlines and partnerships with several others to boost its network to over 400 international destinations. 

The major decision for consumers comes down to the individual loyalty schemes. While customers can earn and burn miles on codeshare airlines, they can do the same on a much greater scale as a global alliance member. For instance, Star Alliance has 27 member airlines covering 21,900 daily departures, meaning the options for customers to accrue and utilise points extends much further. There's also over 1000 lounges dotted across the globe, meaning customers can enjoy seamless travel, comfort between flights and baggage claim – all on a single ticket. 

Flying high
Rather than trying to join all the dots, the best bet for consumers is to check the individual airline partners before taking off. That way, you can select your preferred carriers ahead of time without running into any nasty surprises at the boarding gate. 
If you're tossing up the idea of joining an airline's loyalty program, check out which of them best suits your travel needs. If the airline is part of a global alliance, it will help you clock up points faster if you're covering lots of miles, but there's not much point if you fly regularly with carriers that aren't members. 
Ultimately, the days when the name on the tailplane was also the airline you were boarding are long gone, but who's complaining when you look at the rewards. 

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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