Seattle-based Alaska Airlines will officially join oneworld on March 31, 2021.
A blog posted to the Seattle-based carrier’s website Oct. 12 described a “huge amount of complicated work being done behind-the-scenes” to ensure its systems are aligned with other oneworld member carriers in time for the “aggressive” late March deadline.
“We are officially joining a family with some of the best airlines in the world,” Alaska SVP-fleet, finances and alliances Nat Pieper said in a statement. “The possibilities are tremendous.”
Plans to formally link up with oneworld were originally announced in February 2020, along with the formation of Alaska’s west coast-oriented codeshare partnership with American Airlines, also a oneworld alliance member. Alaska originally hoped to join sometime in the 2020 fourth quarter (Q4), but later pushed its target date out until early 2021 due to COVID-19’s impact.
Joining oneworld would expand mostly-domestic Alaska’s international reach, while offering frequent fliers the option to earn and redeem miles on other alliance member carriers, as well as reciprocal lounge access. ..
