It will be a little longer until Alaska Airlines fully joins oneworld. The Seattle-based carrier confirmed this week that it will become a member of the airline alliance by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Changing plans
In February, Alaska Airlines first made the surprise announcement that it would become a member of the alliance. Back then, the expectation was that the company would join from next summer.
However, the momentum was shifting over the last few months, and as recently as July, the carrier hoped that it would have membership by the time this year is over. Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden shared that the global health crisis may have catalyzed his firm’s plans.
Nonetheless, The Points Guy now reports that at the Cowen Global Transportation & Sustainable Mobility Conference on Wednesday, Alaska president Ben Minicucci said that the airline will join sometime in late Q1 2021.
The businessman said that one of the challenges the airline faces in joining is turning on all of the necessary technology connections with oneworld. Altogether, this step and other integration processes are taking longer than expected.
A helpful move
In July, oneworld CEO Rob Gurney shared his excitement about Alaska Airlines joining the alliance. He highlighted how the carrier’s presence across the Pacific Coast will be beneficial for passengers of other member operators.
“The joining of Alaska Airlines will add another high-quality carrier to oneworld, allowing us to offer even more destinations and options to the customers served by our member airlines,” Gurney said in an official statement.
“It strengthens oneworld’s presence across the key airports on the US West Coast and will build rapidly on the existing partnerships in place between Alaska Airlines and other oneworld members.”
Worth the wait
Altogether, even though there is a delay, the process will still be complete before the original plan of summer 2021. So, had it not been for the change of expectations in the middle of this year, the current target could be viewed as an acceleration.
Once the transition is over, those in Alaska Airlines’ loyalty program can enjoy several benefits. For instance, they can earn and redeem miles across the 14 carriers that are part of oneworld.
Simple Flying reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment on its oneworld membership but did not hear back before publication. We will update the article with any further announcements.
What are your thoughts about Alaska Airlines joining oneworld during the first quarter of next year? Do you think that this is a good move for the carrier? Let us know what you think in the comment section.