The Star Alliance is an alliance of several airlines that is represented on all continents (except Antarctica). The symbol is a five-pointed star that symbolizes the five founding members Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines. With currently 28 members, the Star Alliance is the oldest, largest and most influential association of airlines worldwide.
history
Members
At the moment 28 airlines are organized in the Star Alliance, with the largest hubs in North America, Europe and East Asia. But Allianz is also well represented in Africa, with hubs in Johannesburg, Cairo and, soon, Addis Ababa as well.
So far, four airlines have left the alliance. The Australian Ansett Australia and the Brazilian VARIG both went bankrupt. The Mexican Mexicana is in the rival alliance after disputes with the larger United Airlines oneworld entered and meanwhile also broke while Shanghai Airlines on October 31, 2010, as it was taken over by another company. After the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, US Airways has also left the alliance.
Benefits for travelers
The cooperation of many airlines across national borders results in many advantages for air travelers. The flight world is no longer as clear as it was before, as many processes are networked and offers merge, but you can travel flexibly (almost) anywhere in the world. This selection gives a good overview of the greatest advantages in the Star Alliance:
- Frequent flyer programs - These are compatible with each other and you can usually collect miles / points on all partner airline flights. A Lufthansa customer can earn miles with Continental Airlines or Air New Zealand without ever boarding a Lufthansa aircraft. It should be noted that not all flights with Star Alliance companies are mutually eligible for miles.
- Bonuses - You can not only collect bonus miles, but often redeem them again and travel in a higher booking class, for example.
- Lounges - At many airports around the world, special airline lounges sweeten the waiting for those who are waiting. Here, too, they work together and enable passengers from partner companies to use it.
- Flights - The main advantage for the customer is the massive expansion of the airlines' route network. Airlines can issue their customers tickets for many flights even though they do not even operate the route themselves. A South African Airways passenger can fly from Durban to Johannesburg, from there to Frankfurt and from there to Warsaw, all with one ticket.
Disadvantages for travelers
With the many advantages for passengers, there are of course some disadvantages.
- The booking is made for the passenger less transparent, since many airlines offer flights under their own flight number, but these are then operated by a partner.
- It is possible that Monopolies can form on some flight routes, which then lead to higher prices. Even if several airlines still serve a route, consolidation into a few aviation alliances can have a cartel effect.
Round-the-world ticket
The Star Alliance airlines together offer a so-called Round-the-world ticket where you buy a ticket once and then fly around the world with it, from one city to the next with different companies.
Web links
- www.staralliance.com - Official website
