In an effort to expand its footprint, the Oneworld airline alliance has started a Connect partner program for carriers that cannot or do not wish to become full members. To become a Connect member, a carrier must have at least three Oneworld member sponsors and provide priority check-in and boarding to elite Oneworld travelers. The smaller carriers will be able to offer seamless check-in and baggage handling, as well as frequent-flyer benefits, alongside their sponsors rather than across the entire alliance.
"Oneworld's current network of more than 1,000 destinations in 150-plus territories offers far-reaching global coverage, but there are still some regions where we would like to strengthen our presence further," Oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said. "With fewer potential new candidates available to recruit based on our established membership criteria, Oneworld Connect enables us to link up with other airlines whose networks are relevant to a subset of our members, that cannot meet Oneworld's full membership requirements at this stage or that are not interested in full membership at present."
The alliance has lined up Fiji Airways to be its first Connect member. American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas are its sponsors. Fiji Airways already codeshares and has frequent-flyer connections with all those carriers save British Airways, with which it is "currently discussing areas for potential bilateral cooperation," according to Oneworld.
Star Alliance has a similar "membership-lite" model, called Connecting Partner, and last year brought in its first carrier, Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines.