oneworld alliance welcomes Mexicana on board

Mexicana becomes part of oneworld^® at midnight tonight - adding Mexico and Central America's leading airline to the world's leading quality airline alliance.

Its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink join oneworld at the same time, as affiliate members.  All three airlines will offer the alliance's full range of services and benefits from the first flights tomorrow.

They extend the oneworld network to almost 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries, with a combined fleet of some 2.250 aircraft operating more than 8.000 flights a day, carrying 325 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US$100 billion.

A massive promotional programme is launched today to highlight the group's addition to the alliance.

Mexicana is offering passengers flying with the airline in the next four weeks the chance to win a pair of tickets for a trip of a lifetime right around the world, flying with its new oneworld partners.   See separate press release

A Mexicana Airbus A320 and MexicanaClick Boeing 717 are unveiled today at their Mexico City hub - decorated in oneworld's alliance livery.  See separate press release

oneworld's award-winning Travel and Charging Stations land for the first time in Latin America, installed from today at Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport.  See separate press release

Mexicana's market-leading Mexican and Central American network are covered from midnight tonight by oneworld's full and extensive range of alliance fares and sales products - including its new Visit Mexico and Central America pass.  See separate press release

Mexicana's addition comes a day after oneworld was named the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the seventh year running in the World Travel Awards.  See separate press release

As it updates its website to mark the addition of Mexicana, oneworld is also enhancing its on-line services to include a Spanish version of its popular round-the-world booking tool, an iPhone flight search application and a complete mobile website for customers using Blackberrys, iPhones and other smartphones.  See separate press release

As of tomorrow, members of the MexicanaGO frequent flyer programme can earn and redeem mileage awards on all oneworld partners, who include some of the biggest and best airlines in the world - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian and almost 20 affiliated airline.   Russia's leading domestic carrier S7 Airlines is on track to join during 2010.

MexicanaGO Conquer and Discover cardholders have oneworld Emerald and Sapphire status respectively, gaining them access to some 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance's airlines.  Mexicana Explore cardholders have oneworld Ruby status. 

The 21.000 customers in these top three MexicanaGO tiers have been sent new membership cards, bearing the oneworld logo, to ensure they receive their alliance benefits.

Also from midnight tonight, the 100 million members of the established oneworld airlines' frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits on Mexicana and its two affiliates.

As Mexicana joins oneworld, its logo will be added to thousands of oneworld signs at the 700 airports worldwide on its member airlines' networks, on the alliance's its website and all oneworld branding used in its and its member airlines' advertising, publications and stationery, increasing awareness of Mexicana in the near 150 countries served by the alliance's carriers.

At the same time, Mexicana will be applying oneworld logos onto the fuselages of all 105 aircraft in its combined fleet and featuring the alliance emblem wherever its own Mexicana logo is featured.

Senior executives from all oneworld's member airlines gathered at Mexicana's Mexico City base today to welcome the alliance's new recruit on board, led by:

• Gerard Arpey, American Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive and current Chairman of oneworld's Governing Board.
• Antonio Vazquez, Chairman and Chief Executive of Iberia, which has been serving as Mexicana's oneworld sponsor, supporting it through its alliance joining programme.
• John McCulloch, oneworld Managing Partner.

oneworld Governing Board Chairman, American Airlines Chief Executive Gerard Arpey, said: "oneworld is very selective about who we invite on board to join us as a new member.  We only consider airlines with brands that match the quality of our established partners, who share our priorities of safety, customer service and profitability and who can expand our existing combined network in key regions, rather than simply replicating what we already offer.  As the leading carrier in Mexico and Central America, Mexicana more than fits the bill.  We are delighted to be welcoming it and its customers on board oneworld." 

Iberia Chairman and Chief Executive Antonio Vázquez said:  "Iberia has been honoured to act as Mexicana's sponsor into oneworld, a process that has reinforced the excellent relations between both airlines.  Mexicana will considerably strengthen oneworld's long established position as the leading airline alliance in the Spanish-speaking world and in Latin America, making it easier for more customers to reach more places more easily and for better value with some of the world's best airlines." 

Mexicana Chief Executive Officer Manuel Borja said: "As a member of oneworld, we can now offer our customers more choice and convenience, a much more extensive global network, more opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer rewards, more lounges, more customer service support and better value - services and benefits beyond the reach of any individual airline.  For Mexicana and our employees, becoming part of oneworld, flying alongside some of the most respected names in the airline industry worldwide, strengthens our position considerably in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

About Mexicana

Mexicana is the leading carrier in Mexico and Central America.   With affiliates MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink, it serves 14 countries and 67 destinations - 37 of them in Mexico.  Mexicana itself flies to 41 destinations in 14 countries, including 11 destinations in Mexico.  MexicanaClick's network encompasses 29 destinations in Mexico, plus Havana (Cuba), and MexicanaLink operates to 18 destinations in Mexico. 

The mainline Mexicana operates 63 aircraft - 26 Airbus A320s, 21 A319s, 10 A318s, two A330s, two Boeing 767-200s and two Boeing 767-300s.  They make more than 200 departures a day, using the two-letter airline code MX.  Mexicana offers two classes - Executive and Economy - with in-flight entertainment screens throughout the fleet and complimentary in-flight meals and drinks in both cabins. 

MexicanaClick operates 24 Fokker 100s and six Boeing 717s, making 160 departures a day.  Its Fokker 100s operate a single "Coach plus" style cabin, with leather-covered seats at a 35 ins (89 cm) pitch.  Its 717s offer two cabins - Executive and Economy.  All passengers are offered complimentary in-flight drinks and snacks.  

MexicanaLink operates 12 new-generation Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets with more on order.  They offer more than 70 departures a day.

Mexicana boarded 8,3 million passengers in 2008, with MexicanaClick carrying another 3,4 million.  The group employs 8.400 staff.

Mexico City - the world's second most populous metropolis - is the airlines' main hub, with Cancun and Guadalajara secondary hubs.

Mexicana has just completed the migration of its main IT platforms to Amadeus Altea - alongside oneworld partners British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines and Qantas, with Cathay Pacific also committed to transfer to this provider soon.

Among Mexicana's most important bilateral alliance relationships are those with oneworld's American Airlines and Iberia, including code-sharing, frequent flyer links and through check-in.  Before joining oneworld, it had also established bilateral relationships with four of the alliance's other existing partners - Cathay Pacific (frequent flyer), Japan Airlines (frequent flyer, code-sharing and through check-in), LAN (frequent flyer and through check-in) and Qantas (code-sharing, frequent flyer and through check-in).

Among its most recent awards, it was named World Travel Awards' Best Airline Mexico and Central America for the 11^th year running, Best Business Class Latin America for the third year running and Best Internet Site in Latin America (all in 2007), and Best Airline in Mexico for two years running by Global Traveler magazine.

Mexicana is one of the world's most experienced airlines, starting service in July 1921.

It was privatised in December 2005, and is now owned by a consortium of Mexican private investors.

Mexicana was elected a oneworld member designate in April 2008.

About oneworld

oneworld 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, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, and around 20 affiliates including American Eagle, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru.  Mexicana and its affiliates MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink will join the alliance on 10 November 2009 and Russia's S7 Airlines in 2010.

Between them, these airlines:

• Serve almost 750 airports in nearly 150 countries, with some 8.500 daily departures.
• Offer nearly 550 airport lounges for premium customers.
• Carry some 330 million passengers a year.
• Employ 300.000 people.
• Operate almost 2.500 aircraft.
• Generate some US$100 billion annual revenues in total.

It is the only alliance with any airlines based in Australia, South America or Asia's Middle East.

The alliance 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 voted the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the seventh year running in the latest (2009) World Travel Awards.   It is the only winner of this award since it was introduced in 2003.