oneworld's new fares make travel from Belgium more attractive than ever

14 September 2007

oneworld®, the world's leading quality airline alliance, today launches a range of special fares from Belgium, as part of a concerted campaign to gain a bigger share of the air travel market from the country.

Customers flying from Belgium can now mix and match any published fares of any of the alliance's member airlines for trips involving flights by any combination of the carriers.

oneworld is the only alliance to offer this degree of ticketing flexibility between all member airlines.

It means passengers from Belgium can fly in one direction on one oneworld airline and return on another alliance member - now using both airlines' most attractive published prices all the way.

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Nicolas Ferri, in Brussels today for the launch of this initiative, said: "This is another alliance first for oneworld. It is a classic example of oneworld member airlines working more closely together to provide more choice, value and flexibility for their customers. In most cases, it could mean some substantial savings too - but the key for the consumer is greater flexibility, with more flights to choose from."

oneworld already offers a wider choice of great value and flexible alliance fare and sales products than any other airline grouping - for touring one continent or traveling all around the world, whether you are a captain of industry or a student backpacker.

Also today, oneworld launches in Belgium special versions of its round-the-world fares. The special oneworld Round-the-World Promotion offers a selection of the alliance's most popular Economy Class round-the-world itineraries, at special attractive prices.

For example, traveling from Brussels to Hong Kong via Helsinki with Finnair, then on to San Francisco on Cathay Pacific and then back to Brussels via New York on American Airlines, leaving on 10 September would cost EUR1,899 - a EUR300 saving on the regular fare of EUR2,199. See notes below

As two of a handful of what oneworld has designated its "key target markets" globally, the Netherlands and Belgium are two of only five countries worldwide where the alliance currently offers its businessflyer sales product, with more than 500 medium sized Dutch and Belgian enterprises registered to take advantage of the discounts that the product offers on their international travel in return for a more regular relationship with the alliance's carriers.

oneworld comprises ten of the biggest and best names in the world airline industry, all international airline benchmarks for quality and value, and the prize flights can be used on any combination of them - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Finnair, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, plus 20 of their affiliate carriers.

With oneworld the only alliance with any member airline based in the Americas south of Mexico, in the Middle East or in Australia, between them they offer the world's only truly network, serving some 700 destinations in almost 150 countries, carrying more than 320 million passengers a year worldwide on around 9.500 daily departures.

Other elements of oneworld's new drive to gain market share from Belgium include a contest offering three winners prizes of a million frequent flyer miles each - enough free travel for 25 return flights to New York, 50 round trips times to Barcelona, a hundred round trips to the UK or eight trips around the world, or to treat ten family members or friends to Australia. See separate news release

Five oneworld members serve Brussels - American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Malév. Between them, they offer 145 non-stop departures a week to seven destinations in the Americas and Europe, with connections from there to the other near 700 cities the alliance as a whole serves.

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Nicolas Ferri, in Brussels today for the launch of this initiative, said: "Collectively, oneworld's member airlines offer travellers from Belgium the world - and these new fares make it even easier and better value to reach anywhere around the globe from this country."

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 Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, plus some 20 affiliates. Dragonair, named the best airline serving China for the past five years, will join as an affiliate later this year.

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 is the only airline alliance with a truly global network, as the only grouping with any member airlines in the Americas south of Mexico, in the Middle East and in Australia.

It is also the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of carriers, using just electronic tickets.

oneworld was voted the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the fourth year running in the latest World Travel Awards, based on votes cast by some 170.000 travel professionals, including more than 110.000 travel agents in 200 countries.

Compared with the other airline alliances, it is also the grouping whose members collectively have the best financial track record.

Notes

All fares quoted include all taxes and fees, and are calculated on the basis of travel departing 10 September.

All frequent flyer mileage equivalents are based on American Airlines' AAdvantage scheme redemption rates.

 

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