STAR ALLIANCE

Continental Airlines Joins Star Alliance

The CEOs of the Star Alliance member carriers today welcomed the alliance's 25th member: Continental Airlines. Continental's joining Star Alliance will further enhance the alliance's three main customer benefits: global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless travel. Continental's membership follows last year's announcement of a strategic partnership between Continental and United Airlines. Experts from both airlines and Star Alliance have been working together over the last 18 months in order to ensure the first successful transition of a major airline from one global alliance to another.

"Bringing Continental Airlines into Star Alliance has been a truly unique experience. This is the first time an airline has moved directly from one alliance to another and I would like to thank all those involved in ensuring a smooth switch," said Jaan Albrecht, CEO Star Alliance. "Our travelers can now begin to appreciate the advantages Continental brings to the Star Alliance network, while Continental's customers now enjoy enhanced alliance benefits."
"Continental's transition to Star Alliance is one of the most important strategic moves we have accomplished in my career at Continental," said Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner. "Our membership in Star Alliance positions us to deliver a broader network to our customers, and to achieve better business results and a stronger future for my co-workers, our customers and communities as a result of the benefits from participating in the world's largest airline alliance."
"Continental's joining makes the Star Alliance network even more extensive, offering our customers the broadest global access and greatest choice of service," said Glenn Tilton, chairman and CEO of United Airlines. "We welcome our partner, Continental, which brings tremendous value to our customers, our employees and the communities we serve."
Global Reach
Due to the limited overlap between Continental's and Star Alliance's networks, Star Alliance customers now have a choice of 19,500 daily flights serving some 1,071 airports in 171 countries. The main network enhancements are taking place in North America, to and from Latin America, as well as across the North Atlantic and the Pacific.
In North America, Continental adds its three hubs - New York/Newark, Houston and Cleveland - to the network, providing more choice to Star Alliance customers. Continental's extensive Latin America network will increase travel options for Star Alliance customers to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Across the North Atlantic, Continental will also add choice for Star Alliance travelers, especially on the very important New York to London market. Options in the Pacific region are enhanced by Continental's trans-Pacific flights to mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, and by Continental Micronesia flights centered on Guam.
In addition to the network benefits, Continental flights can now be used to create itineraries for the Star Alliance Round the World fare as well as for the North American Airpass. Moreover, Continental will sell all 13 Star Alliance fare products as well as participate in the Star Alliance Conventions Plus product.
Worldwide Recognition
As part of its Star Alliance membership, Continental OnePass members will now be able to earn and redeem miles on all other Star Alliance member carriers. OnePass Gold and Platinum Elite members automatically have Star Alliance Gold Status, and will receive benefits such as access to more than 954 lounges, extra-baggage allowance, priority baggage delivery, dedicated check-in counters and priority waitlist (reservation) and airport stand-by. OnePass Silver Elite have automatic Star Alliance Silver Status, entitling them to priority waitlist (reservation) and airport stand-by.
Participants in any of the existing Star Alliance Frequent Flyer Programs can now earn and redeem miles on Continental. Moreover, OnePass members will be able to use their miles as part of Star Alliance Upgrade Awards for a one cabin upgrade when traveling on participating* Star Alliance member carriers.
Seamless travel
The Star Alliance network aims to provide fast and convenient connections for customers needing to transfer between flights of different Star Alliance member carriers. Effective immediately, through check-in from the originating airport is available for any itinerary involving a Continental flight in conjunction with another Star Alliance flight. In addition, all Star Alliance Connection Centers will now also encompass all flights operated by Continental. These special behind the scene centers look after passengers and baggage transferring between Star Alliance member carriers, in case of flight irregularities. These centers are currently in operation at selected airports across the network like, Frankfurt, Munich, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo-Narita and Bangkok. Moreover, plans are already underway to co-locate member carriers in the same airport area or terminal at numerous destinations served by Continental. By the end of this year Continental will have physically moved airport operations at 11 airports around the world. For instance, on October 27, Continental moves to Terminal 1 at Frankfurt and on November 1, to the South Wing of Terminal 1 at Tokyo/Narita. Other airports where co-location moves have been made include: Beijing, Chicago, Honolulu and Shanghai.
About Star Alliance:
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveler. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award, Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Blue1, bmi, Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Aegean Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines and TAM have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers 19,500 daily flights to 1,071 airports in 171 countries.

Star discussions continue with Ethiopian and TACA
By Lori Ranson

Talks with Ethiopian Airlines and Grupo TACA over their potential membership in the Star Alliance are continuing as the group's management continues to evaluate attributes offered by each carrier.

Earlier this year Ethiopian CEO Grima Wake indicated the carrier's interest in applying for Star membership in 2010. Ethiopian has codeshare agreements with Star members Lufthansa Airlines, South African Airways, BMI and future Star member Brussels Airlines.

Star director of network and membership development Marcus Puffer told ATI earlier this week at a ceremony celebrating Continental's official entry into the grouping that the talks with Ethiopian were still occurring. He says as with all evaluations with potential members, benefits for both the carrier and the alliance need consideration.

TACA executives this week also met with Star Alliance members in New York regarding its potential membership in the group. Roughly a year ago its CEO Roberto Kriete disclosed the airline group based in El Salvador had submitted an application to Star. He initially estimated the alliance's leaders would make a decision regarding TACA's membership by the end of 2008.

During the recent ALTA Leadership Forum Kriete reiterated that Star continues to be the right path for the carrier despite the delay in the alliance deciding on the carrier's application. Puffer says Star's evaluation of TACA is continuing with the added element of its planned merger with Colombian carrier Avianca.

Avianca's parent company Synergy Group currently owns Brazilian carrier OceanAir, and Puffer explains Star needs to consider what that could mean for another Brazilian operator TAM, which is scheduled to join the alliance during the first half of 2010.

Once the Avianca-TACA merger receives all the appropriate regulatory approvals, a new holding company will be created. Avianca CEO Fabio Villegas told ATI at ALTA that the carrier plans to exercise options it has to acquire OceanAir and Ecuadorian carrier AeroGal, which would result in both carriers being owned by the new holding company.

Kriete says Avianca and its sister carriers could potentially also join Star. But as Avianca and TACA will remain separate carriers he says Avianca will make its own decision on whether to join Star, another alliance or remain independent.

Villegas says Avianca is currently not considering any of the global alliances although he acknowledges this could change as the merger will create a larger network which could change Avianca's alliance thinking. Villegas says in the meantime "TACA should continue with the process" of joining Star. "It's the right thing for them to go ahead."

TACA already has codeshare agreements with several Star carriers including Lufthansa, United Airlines and US Airways.

Avianca codeshares with carriers from a mix of alliances including SkyTeam's Delta Air Lines and oneworld's Iberia. Avianca also already codeshares with TACA and Mexicana, which is joining oneworld next month. Villegas says Avianca, which before the merger was announced had indicated it prefers to stay independent rather than join a global alliance, plans to maintain all its codeshare partnerships.

Toronto, nouveau centre de correspondance pour la Star Alliance

Un tout nouveau Centre de Correspondance dédié à tous les passagers des compagnies de la Star Alliance vient d’ouvrir au Terminal 1 de l’aéroport international Lester B. Pearson de Toronto. Il s’agit du 11ème Centre de Correspondance Star Alliance à l’échelle mondiale, du 7ème sur le continent nord-américain et du tout premier au Canada.

"Facilitateurs" pourrait être leur nom: dans ces centres, les personnels au sol des compagnies Star surveillent en permanence les heures de départ et d’arrivée des vols à l’aide de logiciels spécialisés. En cas de besoin, ils peuvent ainsi venir à la rencontre de passagers pour faciliter leur correspondance sur un vol d’un autre transporteur de l’Alliance, et accélérer le transfert des bagages en cas de nécessité. A l’aéroport de Toronto, Air Canada opère aux côtés de United Airlines, Lufthansa, US Airways, Austrian, Continental et LOT Polish Airlines, également membres de la Star Alliance.

Rappelons qu’au départ de Paris, Air Canada opère à l’année un vol quotidien non-stop entre Roissy-Charles de Gaulle et l’aéroport international de Toronto, ainsi qu’une liaison quotidienne sans escale sur Montréal.

Star Alliance se renforce en Afrique. L’alliance mondiale de compagnies aériennes a formellement invité Ethiopian Airlines à la rejoindre le 29 septembre. Le processus d’intégration est estimé à un an et la compagnie éthiopienne sera parrainée par Lufthansa.

Star Alliance accueillera ainsi un troisième transporteur africain, après South African Airways et Egyptair. Ethiopian lui ouvrira les aéroports de vingt-quatre nouvelles destinations et cinq nouveaux pays – le Tchad, le Congo, Djibouti, le Mali et le Niger.

L’intégration d’Ethiopian lui permettra également de compter un troisième hub en Afrique, Addis Abeba, voire un quatrième, Lomé au Togo, grâce au partenariat qu’elle a tissé la compagnie avec Asky, dans laquelle elle détient 25%.

Star Alliance a indiqué que, selon l’IATA, l’Afrique serait le deuxième marché le plus dynamique dans les prochaines années, en terme de croissance du trafic. Oneworld est la seule alliance à ne compter aucun membre africain en son sein aujourd’hui, SkyTeam ayant Kenya Airways.

http://www.aerocontact.com/actualite_aeronautique_spatiale/ac-ethiopian-airlines-invitee-a-rejoindre-star-alliance~10787.html

With Avianca and TACA Airlines joining the Star Alliance on Thursday, the largest airline network, in terms of daily flights and number of members, just got bigger.

Star now has 28 member airlines operating 4,200 aircraft, with 21,500 daily flights in 193 countries.

Avianca and TACA announced their intentions to join the alliance in November 2010.