TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 TOURISM INDIA FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 27

T
he CEOs of oneworld®
member airlines has met in
London recently to unveil
a radical transformation of the
global alliance as it marks the 20th
anniversary of its launch. The moves
are designed to increase the value that
oneworld delivers to customers and
to its member airlines into its third
decade, while reflecting the substantial
changes in the marketplace and the
industry since oneworld originally took
off on 1 February 1999.
Mr. Rob Gurney, CEO of oneworld
alliance said: “In the two decades
since oneworld was launched, the
industry and consumer behaviours
have changed fundamentally. Most of
our member airlines have undergone
comprehensive restructuring. Some
have merged. When oneworld first
took off, hardly any airline offered
online bookings. Smartphones were in
the future. Social media did not exist.
Airline fares included everything. Low-
cost carriers were in their infancy.
“Since then, global alliances have
grown greatly in terms of membership
but, to be frank, they have failed to
keep pace with the changes that their
members, the industry at large and
the marketplace have experienced. At
oneworld, we are making up for that.
As we enter our third decade, we are
undergoing a radical transformation,
with a host of fresh initiatives to
strengthen further the relevance of the
alliance to our member airlines and our
customers.”
Mr. Alan Joyce, Group CEO of
Qantas and Chairman of oneworld
Governing Board added: “Qantas
was one of the airlines that founded
oneworld 20 years ago and we’ve seen
it evolve into the leading alliance in the
sky. A NEW ONEWORLD DIGITAL
PLATFORM THAT WILL BRING TO
LIFE IN THE DIGITAL ERA THE
ALLIANCE’S CORE PROMISE
OF SEAMLESS CONNECTIVITY
FOR CUSTOMERS FLYING
ON MULTI-SECTOR, MULTI-
AIRLINE JOURNEYS, VIA
THE CONVENIENCE OF
THEIR PREFERRED MEMBER
AIRLINE’S MOBILE APP OR
WEBSITE – WITHOUT HAVING TO
DOWNLOAD ANY ADDITIONAL
APP OR ENTER MORE LOG-IN
CREDENTIALS.
“In some ways, oneworld represents
a team of rivals, given several members
are direct competitors in various
regions. For two decades it’s been able
to bring together the best carriers,
lounges, frequent flyer programs
and networks offer people a much
smoother travel experience. Now, as
the alliance enters its third decade, we
are stepping up that cooperation and
modernising how we work together
to make oneworld even more relevant
to international travellers and to its
member airlines.” Rob Gurney and Alan Joyce were
joined at the London event by their
counterparts from oneworld’s other
three founding members, American
Airlines, British Airways and Cathay
Pacific Airways who commented on
behalf of colleagues from many of the
other airlines that have joined them in
the alliance since then, who were also
present.
Mr. Vipula Gunatilleka, CEO,
SriLankan Airlines said: “SriLankan
Airlines sends our best wishes to the
oneworld team and all other member
airlines on this momentous occasion
of marking two decades. Since 2014,
we have had the privilege of being part
of this prestigious alliance and it has
opened up a world of opportunities for
us. More importantly, this has enabled
us to offer our passengers extensive
connectivity and enhanced frequent
flyer benefits. On the other hand, as
the representative of the South Asia
region, it is both our pleasure and
honour to add exotic and vibrant
destinations to the oneworld route
map. The Travel Bright campaign that
takes off today presents a progressive
outlook to air travel. It will inspire
many more to enjoy the benefits of the
alliance and be part of the world that
we bring together as member airlines
of oneworld.”
February 2019 Tourism India
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