VANCOUVER, Canada, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- oneworld(R) is strengthening its position as the leading airline alliance serving Latin America with the addition of two more airlines in the region -- LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador.
The two airlines -- members of the LAN Airlines group -- will become affiliate members of oneworld as soon as joining technicalities can be completed. All parties have committed to ensure this takes place as early as possible in 2007.
Both airlines will then offer oneworld's full range of services and benefits. This means their frequent flyers will be able to earn and redeem mileage awards on all other oneworld carriers, with top-tier members able to gain access to the 400 airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance's airlines. Members of other oneworld airlines will be able to earn and redeem awards and receive all other oneworld benefits on both LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador. The two airlines' networks will also be covered by oneworld's extensive range of alliance fares.
"I'm delighted to welcome LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador on board oneworld," said oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch. "Both offer a level of service to match the best in the world, in keeping with oneworld's overall emphasis on quality. With our extensive presence in Latin America already, their addition strengthens oneworld's position as the leading alliance serving this region."
"It is with great pride that I announce the addition of LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador to oneworld," said LAN Airlines Chief Executive Enrique Cueto. "The high quality and safety standards of the service they provide to passengers have earned them membership in this prestigious alliance formed by the world's top airlines. Without any doubt this constitutes a clear recognition of our on going commitment to our customers and our determination to deliver an excellent quality product that meets the highest standards of international safety."
With Chile-based LAN Airlines a full member of the alliance since June 2000, along with its domestic subsidiary LAN Express and Peruvian airline LAN Peru as affiliate members, the latest additions mean oneworld will have five Latin American airlines in its grouping.
The two new affiliates will considerably broaden the alliance's network within Latin America through the addition of a domestic schedule within Argentina and regional international service to and from Argentina and Ecuador, besides expanding its links between the region and North America and Europe. LAN Argentina will also add four destinations to the oneworld map -- Iguazu (IGR), Comodoro Rivadavia (CRD), Rio Gallegos (RGL), and El Calafate (FTE).
oneworld partner American Airlines has extensive service to Latin America, serving more than 15 countries in the region. Additionally, Iberia has the most direct flights between Europe and Latin America, and British Airways also flies to several cities in South America.
The addition of LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador also builds further on oneworld's position as the leading Spanish-speaking alliance.
The two airlines received the green light to join oneworld at a recent meeting of the alliance's Governing Board. With the other members of the LAN group already part of oneworld, bringing LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador on board oneworld will be simpler and speedier than adding completely new recruits to the grouping.
The LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador addition accelerates what was already oneworld's biggest expansion program in its history, with Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian and Royal Jordanian preparing to join early next year, taking the alliance's network to nearly 700 destinations in almost 150 countries.
In addition to LAN Airlines, American, Iberia and British Airways, oneworld's other existing members include Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Finnair, plus a dozen affiliates. Another five affiliates will join with Japan Airlines' addition to the alliance.
About LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador
LAN Argentina launched passenger and cargo service in June 2005. Today it operates from Buenos Aires to Cordoba, Mendoza, Iguazu, Bariloche, Comodoro Rivadavia and Rio Gallegos. Additionally, starting Nov. 7, LAN Argentina will launch flights to El Calafate and Ushuaia. It also operates daily service from Buenos Aires to Miami. LAN Argentina operates a fleet of three Airbus A320s, four Boeing 737-200s and two Boeing 767-300s.
LAN Ecuador launched passenger and cargo service in April 2003. Today it operates from hubs at Quito and Guayaquil to Buenos Aires, Madrid, Miami, New York and Santiago, with Airbus A320s and Boeing 767-300s.
The LAN alliance -- including LAN Airlines, LAN Express, LAN Peru, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador -- offers "a united spirit of reliability and charm that provides passengers with the highest level of service and safety with the complete travel experience throughout the skies of the Americas." Through its own operations, the LAN alliance serves 56 destinations worldwide -- 15 in Chile; 11 in Peru; nine in Argentina; two in Ecuador; 10 in other Latin American and Caribbean countries; three in the United States (Los Angeles, Miami and New York); two in Europe (Frankfurt and Madrid); and four in the South Pacific. Within Latin America, the LAN alliance serves Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Currently, the LAN alliance operates 75 passenger aircraft and nine dedicated freighters, carrying some 8 million passengers in 2005. LAN recorded net profit of US$146.6 million in 2005 on total revenue of US$2.5 billion.
About oneworld
oneworld 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. Together, its existing members serve more than 600 destinations in some 135 countries. oneworld is 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 2006 World Travel Awards, based on votes cast by some 170,000-travel professionals, including more than 110,000 travel agents in 200 countries.
