oneworld Alliance Finally Building Its Own Airport Lounges – View from the Wing
oneworld Alliance Finally Building Its Own Airport Lounges
In 2019, the oneworld alliance which includes American Airlines, Alaska, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more, announced plans for its first alliance-wide lounge. This was going to be at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. The pandemic and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put that plan on hold, with Russian carrier S7 suspended from the alliance.
However construction is now underway on a oneworld alliance lounge in Seoul. Seoul is an important destination, and currently a hub for both Star Alliance (Asiana) and SkyTeam (Korean Air) carriers. A joint oneworld alliance here makes sense.
Biggest clue yet of @traveloneworld opening its own lounge? Ex-Jeju Air lounge in Seoul ICN T1 is under refurbishment.
The construction sign says for — and in Korean — “Oneworld lounge improvement construction” pic.twitter.com/bfglRufnnm
— Danny Lee (@AirEVthingTRNSP) September 7, 2023
A oneworld-branded lounge would match offerings provided by both the Star and SkyTeam alliances, and are intended for airports where several alliance carriers fly, and where they co-locate in a single terminal, but where no alliance carrier has a dominant presence. American will continue to run its lounges in hubs, British Airways will continue to run its lounges, and the same for Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and others.
Some of the key locations that have been speculated – in addition to Seoul and the paused Moscow project – include Sao Paulo, Berlin, and a potential alliance takeover of LAX Tom Bradley terminal business class lounge (which is a collaboration between oneworld airlines Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways and which is Qantas-managed).
In the past there’s been speculation that a oneworld lounge program could grow to as many as 10 or more locations.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is chairman of the alliance, which recently moved its headquarters to the American Airlines campus in Dallas. American’s Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja is leading a search for a new alliance CEO to succeed Rob Gurney who served n the role for 7 years.
