Oneworld has relaunched its meetings and events product after a six-year hiatus, offering discounted fares through a dedicated online booking portal, the airline alliance announced on Tuesday (13 October).
The 15-airline alliance first introduced a conventions-focused product in 2003, which was discontinued in 2006. A similar offering followed in 2013 but was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest iteration was designed "to support international events across Oneworld's network" and follows "renewed demand" for a dedicated solution, the alliance said.
"Since the product was last available, the Oneworld network has expanded," said Roger Blackburn, vice president of commercial and loyalty at Oneworld. "We now have 15 member airlines serving nearly 1,000 destinations worldwide – including new members Fiji Airways, Oman Air and Hawaiian Airlines – making it easier to bring delegates together from multiple countries and departure points."
Event organisers submit event details through the Oneworld Meetings & Events portal. Once approved, they will receive a unique booking link to share directly with attendees or add to the event website, according to Oneworld.
Access to preferential fares requires at least 50 delegates travelling to a shared destination. Attendees can book their own travel with any Oneworld member airline via the online portal, but travel dates are restricted. Inbound travel is permitted from seven days before the event begins until its final day, while outbound travel is allowed from the first day of the event until seven days after it ends, according to the alliance website.
Oneworld also must be the exclusive airline alliance for the meeting or event. Event organisers can manage multiple events through the portal while monitoring bookings. The alliance will monitor booking compliance through the online portal, according to its website.
In response to questions from BTN, Blackburn said the Oneworld meetings and events product can "complement" existing corporate agreements with individual member airlines "by providing broader coverage in markets where they may not already have negotiated rates".
"We're also considering options for how the product could develop over time to support the needs of larger corporate organisations," he said.
Oneworld members include Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines. Philippine Airlines is also expected to join, becoming the alliance's 16th member.