oneworld Voted Leading Airline Alliance for Fifth Year Running

The one world Alliance has been named the world's leading airline alliance for the fifth year running in the World Travel Awards, which are described by the Wall Street Journal as the “travel industry's equivalent of the Oscars.”

The awards, which were presented last week at a gala ceremony in the Caribbean's Turks & Caicos Islands, are based on votes cast by some 170,000 travel professionals and agents worldwide.

one world has won the award for leading airline alliance every year since the category was introduced in 2003.

“ one world is delighted to have received this tremendous vote of confidence once again from some of the most knowledgeable people in the travel industry worldwide,” said Michael Blunt, one world's Vice President of Corporate Communications. “It reflects the quality of our airline members and our commitment to deliver alliance customer service better than anyone else. It's a wonderful way to end what has been a record-breaking year for one world.”

In other top categories, member airline British Airways was named the world's leading airline for the third year running; Cathay Pacific was selected as having the world's leading First Class product; and American Airlines was honored for the world's leading Economy Class.

The leading alliance award is the culmination of a record year for one world, with 11 airlines becoming participants in the Alliance, expanding its network to approximately 100 more destinations. Alliance partners also share more facilities in terminals at key airports to smooth customers' journeys, and one world generates more revenues than ever before for its member airlines.

Just last month, one world completed its biggest expansion since its launch eight years ago with the addition of China's Dragonair, an affiliate of Cathay Pacific, following the recruitment earlier this year of Japan Airlines and five of its affiliates, plus Malév Hungarian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and LAN affiliates LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador. Together, they expanded the Alliance's network to about 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries.

Also last month, one world opened its first airport lounge developed as an Alliance project, at Los Angeles. That followed the consolidation earlier this year of Alliance operations in Terminal 2 at new one world hub Tokyo Narita.

About one world
one world brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, plus more than 20 affiliates. China's Dragonair joined as an affiliate on Nov. 1.

The Alliance 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 is the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of airlines, using electronic tickets.