oneworld News

oneworld®, the world’s most awarded global airline alliance, today unveiled key enhancements to oneworld events, its one-stop, easy-to-use travel service for the conferences, conventions, meetings, exhibitions and special events markets.

Key improvements include:

• Lowering by half the minimum requirement for the number of delegates flying internationally to an event, to just 50.
• A simpler and more generous incentive for event organisers.

The changes are being made on the back of a record year for the programme – with more events and conventions selecting oneworld as their official air travel partner.

They were announced on the opening day of one of the biggest events of the year for this sector of the travel industry – IBTM World. Reed Travel Exhibitions, which manages IBTM worldwide, has itself selected oneworld as its official and exclusive global air travel partner for the market-leading events in its portfolio.

oneworld Director of Sales José María Alvarado said: “The past 12 months have seen oneworld events break all records with twice as many events and conventions signing oneworld to be their global air travel partner than in the year before. So far in 2016, through the oneworld events programme, oneworld has been chosen as the global air travel partner for organisers of events and conventions in more than 100 different cities in 30 plus different countries.

“It is very clear that event organisers and delegates love the attractive flight discounts the programme offers on a collection of some of the world’s leading airlines, to say nothing of the programme’s ease of use and the many other benefits oneworld events provides. Now oneworld events is even better.”

oneworld events is aimed at conferences, conventions, meetings, exhibitions and special events targeting, from today, a minimum of 50 attendees flying internationally – half the previous minimum requirement. Requests are accepted as early as five years in advance and up to three months prior to the event date.

For meeting, event and convention organisers, oneworld events provides:

• An efficient and user-friendly centralised process, with one set of terms and conditions covering travel on all oneworld member airlines that can be ready for acceptance just days after submitting the online request form.
• Attractive discounts for attendees on flights on oneworldmember airlines, which together serve more than a thousand destinations in 150 plus countries around the globe.
• Access to the easy-to-use oneworld events online booking tool, together with option to designate a travel agency.
• The chance for organisers to earn and redeem travel credits for flights on participating oneworld member airlines.
• Simple online access to real-time management reports 24/7, when using oneworld’s own online booking tool, to help meet attendees’ travel needs.
• A ready-to-use oneworld promotional toolkit to build attendee awareness.

For attendees, oneworld events offers:

• Attractive discounts on flights for attendees and one travel companion each, on oneworld member airlines, which together serve a thousand destinations in more than 150 countries around the globe. From today, those discounts can be obtained not just by booking direct via oneworld events’ easy-to-use website but also via designated travel agencies.
• Option to book those discounts direct via oneworld events’ easy-to-use website and via designated travel agencies.
• A user-friendly booking tool that displays the most convenient flights and multiple fare options from hundreds of departure points all over the world to the event or convention location.
• Travel on a collection of some of the world’s leading airlines.
• Round-the-clock support, when booking via oneworld’s own online booking tool, with the oneworld events helpdesk ready to help via email or phone.
• All the usual privileges and benefits afforded to members of any oneworld member airline frequent flyer programme – including the ability to earn miles/points and, for top tier cardholders and one companion each, to use any of the 650 plus airport lounges provided by the alliance’s airlines the world over. Attendees who are not yet members can sign-up before they depart and then receive their benefits and privileges on their way to or from their convention or event.

About oneworld

oneworld is an alliance of some of the world’s leading airlines, committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers. They include airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, and around 30 affiliates. As part of oneworld, these airlines:

• Serve more a thousand airports in 150 plus countries, with 14,000 daily departures.
• Carry some 550 million passengers a year on a combined fleet of 3,500 aircraft.
• Generate US$ 130 billion annual revenues.

oneworld member airlines work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience, with special privileges and rewards for frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network. Top tier cardholders (Emerald and Sapphire) enjoy access to more than 650 airport lounges and are offered extra baggage allowances. The most regular travellers (Emerald) can also use fast track security lanes at select airports.

oneworld is the world’s most highly prized global airline group, with more “best alliance” awards than its competitors combined, including currently:

• FlightStats’ On-Time Performance Award 2015 for the third time running.
• Business Traveller’s 2016 Best Airline Alliance, for the fourth year running.
• World Travel Awards’ World’s Leading Airline Alliance 2015, for the 13th consecutive year.
• Global Traveler magazine’s 2015 GT Tested Reader Survey Award – for the sixth year in a row.
• Premier Traveler’s Best of 2015 Awards – for the third year running.
• Business Traveler North America’s 2015 Best in Business Travel Awards.