airberlin and oneworld prepare for a shared future

airberlin’s preparations to join the oneworld® airline alliance move up a gear today with the launch of a major communications campaign, which sees it become the first recruit in the alliance’s history to carry out joint advertising with oneworld to highlight its forthcoming addition to the group.

Posters on display at key airports across Germany from today proclaim “Departure 2012 – airberlin and oneworld take off for a shared future”. The aim is to raise awareness in the airline’s home market that it will be flying as part of the premier airline alliance from early next year.

The launch of this external campaign comes as oneworld training and internal communications among airberlin’s 8,900 employees gets underway, ensuring that they will be able to deliver the alliance’s full customer offering from the moment airberlin becomes part of the group early next year.

Its preparations to join oneworld represent one of the biggest projects in airberlin’s history. It is being undertaken by 18 work streams covering virtually every aspect of the airline’s activities, supported by its oneworld sponsor British Airways and the alliance’s central team. The overall project plan shows the airline is right on track to meet its joining schedule.

A date for airberlin’s entry into oneworld – along with its Austrian cooperation partner NIKI as a oneworld affiliate member – will be announced in the coming months. oneworld’s network includes 900 destinations in 150 countries. When airberlin joins early next year members of topbonus, airberlin’s frequent flyer program, will be able to earn and redeem miles and enjoy status benefits on all oneworld partner airlines, including access to 550 airport lounges for top tier members.

airberlin passengers are already enjoying early advantages from the airline’s oneworld candidacy with code-share agreements now in place with seven current oneworld members – American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malév, S7 and, also from yesterday Royal Jordanian. Further agreements will follow over the next few months.

Paul Gregorowitsch, CCO airberlin, said: “Never before has there been a campaign run jointly by oneworld and a future member of the alliance. Consequently airberlin is particularly delighted to assume this pioneering role. Furthermore, the timing of this campaign could not be better in terms of advertising oneworld in Germany and of allowing passengers to see the benefits they will derive from membership even before the airline has officially joined the airline alliance.”

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Stephen Usery added: “With airberlin’s German home such a competitive market, we are eager to welcome airberlin flyers into the oneworld family. Our joint campaign is a great way to begin this new relationship.”

airberlin:

airberlin is Germany’s second largest airline. The company has a workforce of 8,900 employees. In 2010 alone, airberlin received over 10 awards for service and quality. The fleet comprises 168 aircraft with an average age of five years, making it one of the most modern fleets in Europe. The airline’s state-of-the-art jets are highly fuel efficient, which contributes toward a long-term reduction in pollution emissions from aircraft. As one of the major European airlines, airberlin flies to 163 destinations in 39 countries. In 2010, the airline carried 33.6 million passengers. airberlin has signed up for membership to the global airline alliance oneworld and is expected to become a full member at the start of 2012. airberlin operates codeshare flights with the oneworld members American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malév, Royal Jordanian and S7.

oneworld:

oneworld is the world’s premier global airline alliance. It brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business – American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, and around 20 affiliates including American Eagle, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. airberlin, India’s Kingfisher Airlines and Malaysia Airlines are on track to join in 2012. Between them, these airlines:

• Serve some 900 airports in nearly 150 countries, with more than 10,000 daily departures.

• Offer 550 airport lounges for premium customers.

• Carry a million passengers a day on a combined fleet of more than 2,500 aircraft.

• Generate more than US$ 100 billion annual revenues in total.

 

oneworld enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges. oneworld also offers more alliance fares than any of its competitors.

oneworld was named the Best Airline Alliance by Global Traveler in its GT Tested Reader Survey 2010 Awards and the World’s Leading Airline Alliance in the 2010 World Travel Awards, retaining that title for