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Star Alliance

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Star Alliance
File:StarAllianceLogo.png
Launch date14 May 1997
Full members17
Non-voting members3
Pending members3
Destination airports841
Destination countries157
Annual passengers (M)413
Fleet size2778
ManagementJaan Albrecht (CEO)
Websitehttp://www.staralliance.com

The Star Alliance, launched on May 14 1997, is the largest and most awarded airline alliance in the world, with the following points of cooperation among its partner airlines:

  • Frequent flyer program integration allows airline miles to be earned and redeemed on all members of the Alliance at the same level
  • Premium customers of the alliance have access to all members' airport lounges.
  • Flight schedules are coordinated to permit almost seamless travel which may include several different carriers within the alliance, on a single ticket
  • Special fares for round-the-world and similar travel on alliance members offer discounts over booking individual itineraries
  • Customer service processes are harmonized in an effort to promote a consistent experience
  • Cooperation in development of a common information technology platform

This tight cooperation led to suspicions of anti-competitive behavior, and the alliance was investigated by the European Union as a virtual merger of its members. Indeed, some speculated that if government regulations were relaxed, the members would merge into a single corporation, although no evidence has yet materialized. Previous to Star Alliance, Northwest Airlines and KLM were operating together as the forerunners of the modern airline alliance system since 1993 - although there had been even earlier pairings and groupings of airlines for decades on a less formal level. The creation of the Star Alliance was a milestone in airline history due to its size and sparked the formation of rivals, notably SkyTeam and Oneworld.

Star Alliance now runs 16930 daily flights to 842 airports in 152 countries with South African Airways and Swiss International Air Lines having joined at the beginning of April 2006. The figure also includes the new US Airways, which reached a merger deal with America West in May 2005. Its market share is 28%, including US Airways-America West Airlines, based on the RPK (revenue passenger kilometers).

The alliance developed the "regional" concept in 2004, which helps the Star Alliance penetrate individual markets with the regional participation of smaller carriers. Regional Star Alliance members have to be sponsored by an existing full Star Alliance member.

Star Alliance was voted best airline alliance in the 2005 World Airline Awards for the second time in three years.

Membership history

Member airlines

File:Star Alliance.png
Star Alliance Logos with future members Air China, Shanghai Airlines and Turkish Airlines
All Nippon Airways aircraft with Star Alliance livery seen in 2006
South African Airways aircraft with Star Alliance livery, seen in 2006
Mexicana aircraft with Star Alliance livery seen in 2003. No longer a member, Mexicana left the alliance in 2004

Starting in 2004, Star Alliance has divided its member airlines into full members and regional members, who must be sponsored by a full member.

Full members

* Founding member

Regional members

Affiliated members

These Airlines are not members on their own but through their parent companies

Former members

  • Australia Ansett Australia — collapsed in 2001
  • Mexico Mexicana — left alliance in 2004 after deciding not to renew a codeshare alliance with United Airlines and opted to codeshare with American Airlines (Oneworld member).
  • Brazil Varig — left alliance on January 31, 2007 due to major restructuring. However Varig has the option to rejoin the alliance within 18 months after leaving Star Alliance following certain audits and the reintroduction of standards required for being a member.

Future members

Potential members

'Ethiopian Airlines has submitted a request to join the star alliance and the application is backed by South African Airways

  • Egypt Egypt Air - according to the homepage of the Arab Air Carriers Organization AACO the airline is in early talks with Lufthansa in order to promote their application.[1]

News:

  • On November 6, 2006, TAP Portugal, a member of Star Alliance, signed a contract with Espírito Santo International for the acquisition of 99.81 percent of the regional airline Portugália. Whether Portugália will join Star Alliance as a regional member or merge its operations with TAP is still unclear. [33]

Premium status

Star Alliance has two premium levels, Silver and Gold, based on a customer's tier status in a member carrier's frequent flyer program. Each of the member and regional airlines recognizes Star Silver/Gold status, with a few exceptions (mainly pertaining to airport lounge access). The statuses have no specific requirements of their own; membership is based solely on the frequent flyer programs of individual member airlines.

Star Alliance Silver

Star Alliance Silver status is awarded to customers who have reached a premium level of a member carrier's frequent flyer program.

Benefits of Star Alliance Silver membership:

  • Priority Reservations Waitlisting
  • Priority Airport Stand-by

Some carriers also offer the following to Silver members:

  • Priority Boarding
  • Priority Airport Check-in
  • Priority Baggage Handling
  • Preferred Seating
  • Additional Checked Luggage Allowance
  • Airport Lounge Access

Membership tiers granting Star Alliance Silver:

Star Alliance Gold

Star Gold logo
Star Gold logo

Star Alliance Gold status is awarded to customers who have reached a high level of a member airline's frequent flyer program.

Benefits of Star Alliance Gold membership:

  • Priority Reservations Waitlisting
  • Priority Airport Stand-by
  • Priority Boarding
  • Priority Airport Check-in
  • Priority Baggage Handling
  • Additional Checked Luggage Allowance
  • Airport Lounge Access (Gold members of United States airlines only receive lounge access to U.S. located lounges when traveling internationally)

Some airlines also offer the following to Gold members:

  • Preferred Seating (Exit seat or even on a special section on the plane on some carriers which provide more leg room)
  • Guaranteed Seating on Fully Booked Flight (Subject to the Booking Class Code and notice period)
  • Complimentary Upgrade (In the form of voucher/certificate or automatic upgrade upon check-in)

Membership tiers granting Star Alliance Gold:

Currently the lowest qualification criteria for a Star Alliance Gold status is 35,000 status miles earned during calendar year with Air Canada's Aeroplan program awarding a status valid for one year from March of the next year.

Alternatively 50,000 qualification miles during a calendar year in Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus program awards a status with two years of validity.

Destinations

Main article: Star Alliance destinations

Notes

  1. ^ Egypt Air aims to become a member within the next 24 months. www.aaco.org, Industry and AACO news, March 8, 2006



See also

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