Alaska Airlines to join Oneworld
Feb 13th, 2020 | 07:28 AM
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Alaska Airlines to join Oneworld
Alaska Airlines has announced it's joining the Oneworld airline alliance in 2021. https://www.alaskaair.com/content/on...-join-oneworld
This is an unexpected and potentially enormous change both in the alliance and in terms of Seattle becoming a second west coast Oneworld hub, after LAX. Currently Seattle is served by Oneworld members Japan Airlines (Tokyo) and Cathay Pacific Airlines (Hong Kong) for transpacific service, so the addition of Alaska to the alliance will make for a vast selection of onward connections through Alaska's giant route system. From Asia, connecting through Seattle to other North American destinations can reduce flying time significantly owing to its position on "great circle" routes.
Alongside Alaska's announcement, American Airlines announced new nonstop international routes from Seattle - Bangalore this autumn and London next spring. British Airways already flies SEA-LHR, but AA's entry into the market will expand Oneworld service into Europe. The SEA-LHR flights are very full with business travelers (both BA and Virgin Atlantic fly that route now) as well as substantial leisure traffic. We shall see how BLR does; it's obviously aimed at the high volume of technology industry passengers on the west coast.
This is an unexpected and potentially enormous change both in the alliance and in terms of Seattle becoming a second west coast Oneworld hub, after LAX. Currently Seattle is served by Oneworld members Japan Airlines (Tokyo) and Cathay Pacific Airlines (Hong Kong) for transpacific service, so the addition of Alaska to the alliance will make for a vast selection of onward connections through Alaska's giant route system. From Asia, connecting through Seattle to other North American destinations can reduce flying time significantly owing to its position on "great circle" routes.
Alongside Alaska's announcement, American Airlines announced new nonstop international routes from Seattle - Bangalore this autumn and London next spring. British Airways already flies SEA-LHR, but AA's entry into the market will expand Oneworld service into Europe. The SEA-LHR flights are very full with business travelers (both BA and Virgin Atlantic fly that route now) as well as substantial leisure traffic. We shall see how BLR does; it's obviously aimed at the high volume of technology industry passengers on the west coast.
