Oneworld, the second oldest global airline alliance, is the smallest of the three. However, Oneworld is getting new members as they continue to push for growth while its competitors either maintain the status quo or shrink.
My earliest days flying were usually on either Aloha Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines. However, when I started venturing farther away from home – you know, past the West Coast – I flew Oneworld airlines pretty much exclusively. This was back in 1999 when I flew HNL-YVR-VIE and LHR-YYZ-HNL That’s ironic, as that’s the same year Oneworld was founded, and the miles I earned and credited to American AAdvantage got me a free trip to Japan years later, and helped to fund first and business class fares to Europe and back a few years after the Japan trip.
Of course, today, my preferred airline – Alaska Airlines – is a Oneworld member airline, which is the alliance’s newest member, at least for now. And, of course, before that American Airlines was my preferred airline. But I digress. You see, soon, Oneworld is getting new members, many of which are are Pacific-based airlines. Oneworld is already really strong in the Pacific, but these new members will serve to only solidify the alliance’s dominance across the entire region.
Oneworld is Getting New Members
Two years ago, Oman Airways announced that it intended to join the Oneworld alliance. Their journey is now coming to a close, as the airline will formally be inducted into the airline towards the end of this year. However, this information is old when discussing the fact that Oneworld is getting new members. You see, recently, current Oneworld Connect member, Fiji Airways, announced that intends to become a full member. Their status as a current Connect member means that becoming a full member will happen quicker than a completely new member airline, but it’ll still take about a year.
What the Heck is Oneworld Connect?
Oneworld Connect is a more limited version of Oneworld membership, which severely restricts what frequent fliers with Oneworld elite status receive when traveling on the Connect airline. You see, elite frequent fliers with full Oneworld member airlines receive the following benefits:
- Ruby
- Access to Business Class check-in lines
- Complimentary preferred or pre-reserved seating
- Priority waitlist on standby
- Sapphire
- Ruby benefits plus/or:
- Access to Business Class lounges
- Priority Boarding
- Excess baggage allowance
- Priority baggage handling
- Emerald
- Sapphire/Ruby benefits plus/or:
- Access to First and Business Class lounges
- Access to First and Business Class check-in lines
- Fast Track/Priority Lane access at select airports
However, with Oneworld Connect airlines, elite members are limited to Priority Check-In (all levels) and Priority Boarding (Sapphire and Emerald). Members of Connect airlines also receive the following benefits with that airline’s Oneworld sponsor airline:
- Ability to earn and redeem miles on sponsor airline flights
- Access to lounges (Emerald)
- Through check-in with member airline and sponsor airline, including connections between the two
In Fiji’s case, its sponsors are American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.
So, though Fiji is currently a Connect member, that it will become a full member as Oneworld is getting new members is a big deal, especially for members that want to travel across the South Pacific.
The Other Pacific Airline
While we’re discussing how Oneworld is getting new members, I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss the elephant in the room – Hawaiian Airlines. As we all know, Alaska Airlines is in the process of acquiring Hawaiian Airlines. As part of that process, it sounds like Alaska Air will merge HawaiianMiles with Mileage Plan and call it something else entirely. So, while Hawaiian Air will remain its own brand, the two airlines will share a single loyalty program.
Now, no one really knows what this means for Hawaiian Air’s status with Oneworld. I’d imagine that Hawaiian would then automatically become a member of Oneworld once the loyalty programs are merged. Some think that this will happen this year, but I’m thinking it’ll be some time in 2025. Of course, this is all assuming the Department of Justice doesn’t try to block or slowdown the acquisition process.
Complimentary Networks
For anyone dreaming of exploring the vast Pacific and its many islands, that Oneworld is getting new members has to be incredibly exciting. You see, the addition of Fiji Airways and Hawaiian will add a huge amount of coverage across the region, most of which doesn’t overlap at all.
Fiji Airways specifically will connect Vancouver, Canada and Honolulu, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the U.S. with points across the Pacific and Asia, including:
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Samoa
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Solomon Islands
- Aotearoa (New Zealand)
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Japan
Being the flag carrier of Fiji, Fiji Airways and its commuter subsidiary has complete coverage of the island nation, along with several different destinations across, Tonga, Kiribati, Australia, and Aotearoa.
On the other hand, Hawaiian Airlines connects various points across the Continental U.S. with all of Hawaii and the following destinations:
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- French Polynesia
- Japan
- South Korea
Hawaiian also operates seasonal routes to Aotearoa.
As you can see, since Oneworld is getting new members, their coverage of the Pacific will be among the most comprehensive out there. That said, large swaths of the vast this large ocean remains uncovered by the alliance, including Palau, Micronesia, the Marshal Islands, Mariana Islands, and Guam. This region remains realm of Star Alliance via United Airlines, which inherited service in the area through Continental Airline’s Micronesia subsidiary.
Oneworld is Getting New Members, Final Thoughts
It’s great that Oneworld is getting new members, as it inches them closer to the number of member airlines held by the other two. It also help further extend the alliance’s reach around the globe. However, Oman Air aside (which is an excellent airline itself), these new additions to Oneworld will provide unparalleled reach for travel within the Pacific and will help better connect Hawaii to the world. Seriously, with these coming changes, HawaiianMiles members will enjoy so much more in the post-merger program.