AAFF or any American Airlines braniacs, do you know when Malev Hungarian is joining onewolrd? I'd like to hit Budapest and possibly Vienna in the Fall. It would be nice if Malev was part of oneworld. It would be even better if they had some specials.

Thanks!

The Oneworld website indicates that Malev are likely to officially join Oneworld in early 2007.

There is a small chance that Oneworld airlines could begin mileage earning opportunities with Malev prior to their official joining, but if this was to happen it is highly unlikely that it would be before the Autumn ('The Fall' is such a yucky term).

There are plenty of other mileage earning opportunities around for getting to BUD/VIE. BA and SN Brussels can fly you on shorthaul segments as could Swiss (although not sure how long Swiss is likely to remain an AA partner).

The AA-Swiss relationship is ending in dribs and drabs through October of this year; all award travel has to be complete by October 2007.

Several airlines are joining Oneworld - Malev, Royal Jordanian, and best of all Japan Airlines, but no one is saying precisely when. JAL is probably in front because they have the biggest impact on the partnership. Malev and Jordanian are likely to become full members before this time next year.

Typically mileage earning/spending arrangements are in place before the full admission, but there's no real pattern.

Those will be interesting additions. I'm looking forward to them.

Will American Airlines give miles for flying to Japan on JAL? Don't they both compete on that route? Or will it be like the BA situation--Fly American to London and they you get miles for flying BA.

wally - You can earn AA miles on many fares on JL. The AA/BA situation is unique. However, most of the discount JL coach fares only earn 70% AA miles. You can find the chart on aa.com.

Wally, part of the "Bermuda II" agreement requires that AA mileage can't be earned on BA flights between the US and London (Heathrow or Gatwick) and BA miles can't be earned on similar AA flights. Only London - for example you can earn AA miles on BA's flight from JFK to Manchester and the same goes for AA's flights from Chicago to Manchester or Glasgow.

Bermuda II was established to regulate access to/from London Heathrow airport - only 2 carriers from each country are allowed to fly into/out of LHR (BA, VS, AA, UA) while all others must use LGW. The same 4 airlines and all the others also have to use LGW from certain N. America cities like DFW.

Also, if you fly JAL under AA coded flight, you get full status qualifying miles as if you were flying AA. The ticket/boarding pass has to have AA flight number. Just because they codeshare it does not mean that JAL will give you full miles when the flights are conumbered. AGAIN, you have to have AA flight number on your ticket/BP to get full miles.

To answer the OP. Malev is in the process in joining OW, but it will take at least another year. They are being trained in the alliance procedures, they need to bring up their standards up to OW standards. These procedures take time and <b>MONEY</b>, so I don't expect Malev to be a full fledged member until sometime later in 2007. JAL will probably become a full fledged member sooner, even though their application to join was announced later.

I've never been to Japan but have considered it. I don't think they allow co-ed bathing in their baths, so I may wait until the eyesight goes.