FLYING multiple airlines to get to your ultimate destination comes with a myriad of hassles. A global airline group led by American Airlines and British Airways is aiming to make airport transits more seamless for passengers.
Oneworld plans to launch a technology platform later this year that will allow travellers to check-in, including their luggage, just once across different carriers, chief executive officer Nat Pieper said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Monday (Jun 3).
He hopes the improvements will make connections more attractive while saving cost for his airline members and generating more revenue.
“We want a multi-carrier travel experience to be the same as a connecting experience for if you’re flying on the same airline,” said Pieper, speaking at Iata’s annual airline meeting in Dubai.
The 13-strong Oneworld alliance, which also includes the likes of Cathay Pacific Airways and Qatar Airways, is hoping to encourage more connections among its airlines, especially for harder to reach destinations like China, India and across South America where it has no members, pushing passengers to use rival airlines.
“There’s cost efficiency. Your revenue is going to be richer because you’re delivering a better experience on that,” Pieper said.
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The alliance aims to fill in the regions it currently does not cover with new airline members in the long run, but is not in a hurry, Pieper said.
The new technology platform though will enable new members to join and be integrated into the group much quicker, he added. BLOOMBERG
