[Anonymous]

[continentalclub]

Air Berlin has signed an agreement to work towards full membership of the oneworld alliance, sponsored by British Airways.

The carrier has also entered into codeshare agreements with Finnair and American Airlines.

http://bit.ly/dplEPz

26.07.2010

Ad hoc Notification Pursuant to §15 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG)

London, 26 July 2010 – Air Berlin PLC announces, that its 100% subsidiary Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG (“Air Berlin”) has on 26 July 2010 agreed with oneworld Management Company Ltd. on key aspects of Air Berlin’s membership in the oneworld Alliance. Under the sponsorship of British Airways Plc, which is a founding member of oneworld Alliance Air Berlin, will work towards completing a full membership agreement with oneworld. Membership in oneworld would strengthen Air Berlin´s competitive position and enable it to participate in the alliance´s revenue enhancement and cost reduc-tion activities.

[Potakas]

Air Berlin has accepted an invitation to join the oneworld® global alliance – and is to develop co-operative agreements with group members American Airlines and Finnair.

Full details will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday 27 July 2010) at a briefing in Berlin at 1330 local time (1130 GMT) hosted by:

Air Berlin Chief Executive Joachim Hunold
British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh
American Airlines President Tom Horton
Finnair Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen
oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch
This briefing will be available to view via a webcast live and, afterwards, on demand.

To view the webcast in German, go to airberlin.com/pk_oneworld
To view the webcast in English, go to airberlin.com/pressconference_oneworld
Further information will be made available then.

http://www.oneworld.com/ow/news/details?objectID=22473

[Potakas]

Anyone else thinks that this agreement is a downgrade for BA and oneworld?

[BABenji]

Air Berlin is a very good airline. I generally fly with them a couple of times a year and have always been impressed with the service. Their shorthaul service could be considered superior to BA (at least it was last November), when I was served with a snack in the evening rather than the bag of birdseed one is offered with BA at the back of the bus.

I don’t think it is a downgrade for BA, although the interesting thing is that Air Berlin’s only London base is Stansted…where BA operates no flights at all. Does this mean BA will move some (longhaul) routes to Stansted? Or will BA, AA and Finnair give up some slots at Deathrow for Air Berlin to feed?

[Potakas]

Ok maybe i am wrong because i was considering AirBerlin as an airline which is worst than ryanair/easyet, but i tried some bookings through their site and they seem to be better than many carriers , for example when you traveling from BKK on business class you have, free of charge the airberlin limousine service with convenient chauffeur to and from Bangkok Downtown, Pattaya or Hua Hin.

They offer free 20 kgr baggage and 30 kgr on silver and gold members of their loyalty program.

There is a big issue with the routes because they don’t have routes to the main airports of every country where other oneworld carriers fly to.

Although i believe that there was a big need for oneworld to have a carrier which is based in central Europe and make the connections easier for people which are not from UK, Spain and Hungary.

Also their fleet seems to be very new and they have many orders, they are waiting 32 737-700, 58 737-800 and 15 787s

[Potakas]

Oneworld statment,

Air Berlin is to join oneworld®, adding Europe’s fifth largest airline and Germany’s second biggest carrier to the world’s leading quality airline alliance.

Air Berlin group member Austria’s NIKI will become an affiliate member of the alliance.

A memorandum of understanding between Air Berlin and oneworld was completed in the airline’s Berlin home city last night, with a formal alliance membership agreement to be signed soon.

Air Berlin is expected to start flying as part of oneworld in early 2012 – just weeks before the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, which is being built as a major new hub for Europe.

As a major player in the European air travel market, Air Berlin served in 2009 a total of 160 destinations in some 40 countries, operating almost 600 daily departures. It carried 28 million passengers, generating revenues of EUR3.2 billion (US$4.5 billion). As of July 2010, Air Berlin operates a fleet of 165 aircraft, including Austria’s NIKI, serving 168 destinations.

When it becomes part of oneworld, its customers will gain access to an unrivalled global network. It will add almost 75 gateways to the oneworld map, expand the alliance’s coverage to almost 900 destinations in nearly 150 countries, served by a combined fleet of 2,500 aircraft operating some 9,500 flights a day and carrying 340 million passengers a year.

Members of Air Berlin’s topbonus frequent flyer programme will be able to earn and redeem rewards on any of oneworld’s 13 other top-class carriers, with top tier members able to use any of the group’s 550 plus airport lounges, and its network will be covered by oneworld’s full range of alliance fares. Frequent flyer cardholders of oneworld’s established airlines will be able to earn and redeem rewards when flying Air Berlin.

As a starting point in its oneworld implementation, Air Berlin will develop one-on-one co-operative agreements with key established members of the alliance American Airlines and Finnair, to take effect this coming winter season. Bilateral agreements with British Airways and Iberia are planned to follow.

British Airways will support Air Berlin through its oneworld implementation programme as its alliance sponsor.

The addition of Air Berlin as a member elect is the latest significant step in what is turning into a breakthrough year for oneworld as it builds further on its position as the world’s premier airline alliance, expanding its unrivalled route network still further and enabling it to offer even more services and benefits to customers.

All but one of the alliance’s existing carriers (with Mexicana the exception) already serve Air Berlin’s German homeland – the most populous country and the biggest economy in the European Union. They will also be looking to expand their own services to its key hubs Berlin and Dusseldorf as the new alliance recruit prepares to join the group.

Air Berlin Chief Executive Joachim Hunold said: “Joining a global alliance is the logical next step in Air Berlin’s development. We are very pleased and proud to be lining up to join what is clearly the world’s top quality airline grouping. Becoming part of oneworld would be one of the most significant departures so far for our airline, enabling us to offer our customers a truly global network served by partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world. We look forward to completing all joining requirements as soon as possible.”

Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British Airways, oneworld’s sponsor of Air Berlin, said: “Air Berlin will make an ideal oneworld partner. It has an excellent reputation for customer service – right in line with oneworld’s focus on quality above quantity in terms of membership. Its network is one of the best in Central Europe, expanding the alliance’s coverage of this region markedly. British Airways is delighted to be supporting Air Berlin’s addition to oneworld by acting as its sponsor into the alliance – and we look forward to establishing our bilateral co-operation.”

American Airlines’ Chairman and Chief Executive, and oneworld Governing Board Chairman, Gerard Arpey added: “oneworld already features four of Europe’s best airlines. Adding the continent’s fifth biggest carrier will greatly enhance our coverage throughout this region. With all the other significant steps we are taking in this breakthrough year for our alliance, this represents a great leap forward in our journey to establish oneworld firmly as the world’s premier airline alliance with members unmatched in brand and service quality.”

[SwissExPat]

AB seem to be making quite an offering out of ZRH.

I will be flying them in 10 days with a trip to PMI (first time with them)

They certainly seem to be more aggressive on price than LX.

ALso they list the BA flights to London from ZRH on their website as code shares!!

[BusinessTraveller]

Business Traveller has just posted images and a report from the Air Berlin Oneworld inauguration event, which took place on the grounds of the forthcoming Berlin Brandenburg Will Brandt airport.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/special-report-oneworld-gears-up-for-new-berlin

[Author]

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