Bangkok--6 Mar--eTurboNews
oneworld confirmed that both LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador will join the global alliance as affiliate members on April 1st, date when Japan Airlines (JAL), Mal?v Hungarian Airlines and Royal Jordanian Airlines will also start offering the alliances' services and benefits as full members. Five other members of the JAL Group will also join oneworld on the same day, as affiliates - JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air.
Dragonair, which has also been elected on board the grouping as an affiliate member, will follow later this year, after all necessary joining technicalities and processes have been completed.
As affiliate members, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and Dragonair will offer the full range of oneworld services and benefits.
LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador will join other LAN alliance airlines that form part of oneworld - including Chile-based LAN Airlines and LAN Express, and LAN Peru - strengthening oneworld's leadership in the region. oneworld is the only global alliance with member airlines in Central (south of Mexico) and South America. With the five LAN alliance members, oneworld becomes the best option for those travelling to/from or within Latin America, and consolidate oneworld's position as the leading Spanish-speaking alliance.
In addition, these two new members will considerably broaden oneworld's network within Latin America by offering a domestic schedule within Argentina and regional international services to and from Argentina and Ecuador, as well as additional connections between the region and North America and Europe.
When LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador join, their frequent flyers will be able to earn and redeem mileage awards on all other oneworld carriers. Top-tier (Emerald and Sapphire) members will also have access to the 400 plus airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance's airlines.
As of April 1st, members of all other oneworld airlines' frequent flyer programmes will also be able to earn and redeem awards and receive all other oneworld benefits on these new recruits, whose networks will also be covered by oneworld's extensive range of alliance fares and sales products.
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