National carrier Qatar Airways will become a full member of oneworld, the world’s leading quality airline alliance, with effect from October 30.

 

Qatar Airways received clearance to board 'Oneworld' after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness, conducted by British Airways, which is sponsoring Qatar Airways’ entry into the alliance, with oneworld’s central team, said a statement from the airline.

 

The airline completes its oneworld implementation program just an year after receiving invitation to join the alliance at a press conference in New York.

 

This will make its induction into oneworld one of the fastest in the alliance’s history.  Normally it takes around 18 months for any airline to be readied to enter any alliance, the Qatari carrier said.  

 

Qatar Airways’ addition to oneworld will come shortly before the airline moves into its new home base, Hamad International Airport, which has been designed to strengthen Doha’s position as a premium global hub, with an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year.

 

From October 30, the three million members of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty program will enjoy frequent flyer privileges whenever they fly with any oneworld member airline, which include leading brands from each global region – airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and some 30 affiliated airlines.

 

This includes earning and redeeming Qmiles for awards and earning Qpoints for tier status when flying with all these airlines.  

 

Privilege Club Platinum cardholders will have Emerald status in the oneworld program. Privilege Club Gold will be equivalent to oneworld Sapphire and Privilege Club Silver will be oneworld Ruby, the statement said.

 

Qatar Airways’ network – serving 130 destinations in 70 countries across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australasia – will also be covered by oneworld’s full and extensive range of alliance fares and sales products. 

 

More than 20 of its destinations and five countries – Ethiopia, Iran, Rwanda, Serbia and Tanzania – will be new to the oneworld map. 

 

CEO Akbar Al Baker said: "In Qatar Airways’ relatively short history, we have quickly established a reputation for innovation, quality and excellence in everything we do. We are pleased to build on that by becoming the only major airline from the Gulf to date to be joining any of the global airline alliances."

 

"We are proud to entering the best of them, in oneworld – and to be doing so in record quick time.  We very much look forward to flying alongside some of the best airlines in the world from October 30, bringing heightened benefits offered by oneworld to our customers.”

 

Welcoming the Qatari carrier, Royal Jordanian CEO Amer Hadidi said:"We are glad that Qatar Airways will join the oneworld alliance, alongside Royal Jordanian, which was the first Arab carrier to gain the trust of any of the three global airline alliances few years ago."

 

"The cooperation between our two companies is not a novelty, since we both work together for the development of the air transport in the region under the umbrella of the Arab Air Carriers Organization," he added.

 

Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby said: “Quality has always been the hallmark of oneworld, so we are pleased to be adding to our alliance another of the world’s highest quality airlines, in Qatar Airways. oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for frequent international travelers the world over."

 

"Qatar Airways will significantly improve our connectivity between many of the destinations that are most important to those customers. We look forward to welcoming it and its customers on board the world’s leading airline alliance," he added.-TradeArabia News Service