Malaysia
Airlines will become a full member of oneworld® with effect from
Friday 1 February 2013, adding one of commercial aviation's most
frequent award winners to the world's leading quality
airline alliance.
The national
airline of Malaysia received clearance to board
oneworld after successfully completing a thorough review of its
readiness conducted by Qantas, which is sponsoring its entry into the
alliance, with the oneworld central team.
While
its alliance implementation programme is on track for completion in
the coming weeks, its addition to oneworld is being held until the
beginning of 2013 to avoid the end-of-year holiday season and for
other administrative reasons.
Malaysia
Airlines will start offering oneworld's full range of services and
benefits from 1 February 2013 - becoming the alliance's second
airline operating the Airbus A380, after its oneworld sponsor Qantas.
From
then, the 2 million members of Malaysia Airlines' Enrich loyalty
programme will, in effect, have their frequent
flyer privileges extended to whenever they fly
with any oneworld member airline - airberlin, American
Airlines, British
Airways, Cathay
Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan
Airlines, LAN Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7
Airlines and some 25 affiliated airlines. This includes earning and
redeeming mileage awards and earning tier status points when flying
with all these airlines. (See notes)
Enrich
Platinum cardholders will have Emerald status in the oneworld
programme. Enrich Gold will be equivalent to oneworld Sapphire and
Enrich Silver will be oneworld Ruby.
From
1 February, Enrich Platinum and Gold members will be able to use any
of the 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by oneworld member
airlines whenever they fly with any of the alliance's carriers.
Malaysia Airlines' First andBusiness Class
passengers will also be able to use oneworld partner airline lounges.
(See notes)
Also
from 1 February, the 125 million members of the established oneworld
airlines' frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn
and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other
oneworld benefits on Malaysia Airlines.
Malaysia
Airlines will substantially expand the alliance's network in South
East Asia, where it will add 14 destinations and one
country - Brunei - to the oneworld map. More significantly, it will
strengthen the alliance's connectivity between many
key business cities in Asia and other parts of the world.
Its
addition will expand oneworld's global coverage to some 840
destinations in 156 countries, served by some 9,000 departures a day
operated by a combined fleet of some 2,500 aircraft, carrying nearly
340 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US$ 110
billion. Add oneworld's other members elect - Qatar
Airways and Sri
Lankan Airlines- and the alliance network reaches to
856 destinations in 159 countries.
Currently
three of oneworld's active member airlines serve three points in
Malaysia, with Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlinesand Royal Jordanian
flying to Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific operating to Penang and its
Dragonair regional affiliate to Kota Kinabalu.