oneworld airline alliance increased its partner airlines members to 12 with the admission of its latest member LAN Colombia of the LATAM Airlines Group. TAM Airlines, also a member of the LATAM Airlines Group, will join onewold on 31 March 2014. TAM’s Paraguayan affiliate will join the alliance at an unconfirmed date.
LAN Colombia’s LANPASS frequent flyer programme members can now enjoy privileges when flying with any oneworld member airilne including earning and redeeming awards and earning tier status points. LANPASS Comodoro and Comodoro Black cardholders will now have oneworld Emerald. LAN Colombia’s Premium Silver is equivalent to oneworld Sapphire while Premium members will enjoy Ruby status on oneworld. These tiers of frequent flyers will enjoy privileges when travelling on any oneworld partner such as Business Class check-in, pre-reserved and preferred seating, waitlist priority and standby for full flights. Sapphire cardholders (LANPASS Premium Silver) also enjoy access to oneworld’s network of hundreds of Business Class lounges as well as priority boarding. oneworld Emeralds (LANPASS Comodoro and Comodoro Black) have access to First Class Check-In and lounges and to fast track security clearance at selected airports as well as additional baggage allowance.
LATAM Airlines Group SA is the new name for LAN Airlines SA as a result of its association with TAM SA. The group includes LAN Airlines and its affiliates in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as well as LAN Cargo and its affiliates as well as TAM SA and subsidiaries TAM Linhas Aereas SA as well as its business units TAM Transportes Aeros del Mercosaur SA (TAM Airlines Paraguay) and Multiplus SA. The group has over 54,000 employees and is listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange as well as in New York Stock Exchange. The group serves 135 passenger destinations in 22 countries and cargo services to around 144 destinations in 27 countries in 27 countries with a fleet of 323 aircraft.
With the admission of LAN Colombia and TAM to oneworld, the alliance will serve close to a thousand airports in more than 150 countries with 14,000 daily departures. It would carry 480 million passengers annually on a combined fleet of more than 3,200 aircraft and generate US$14 billion annual revenues.
Other airline members in the oneworld alliance include airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, JAL, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordnaian and S7 Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines joined oneworld six months ago while Qatar will join the alliance on 30 October 2013 while SriLankan Airlines will join early next year. As part of US Airways planned merger with American Airlines, US Airways may switch from Star to oneworld.
