Latest | Malaysia Airlines has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that it will join Oneworld "by the turn of the year." Click here for the details.
Previous | Has Malaysia Airlines' date for joining the Oneworld alliance slipped from late this year into the early part of 2013?
"Yes", according to the airlines' senior vice-president Germal Singh Khera at a media briefing reported by Air Transport World, saying the carrier expects to conclude all work and officially join the alliance in the first quarter of next year.
"Maybe yes and maybe no", Malaysia Airlines and Oneworld told Australian Business Traveller this evening.
"Malaysia Airlines is on track to join the alliance by around the turn of the year", an MAS spokesman hedged.
"We have not set a firm joining date for Malaysia as yet" Oneworld communications veep Michael Blunt told Australian Business Traveller.
"These things generally take around 18 months to complete. So from its invitation to join in June last year, that would make it late this year/early next."
"(MAS is) on track to join by around the turn of the year – but we're not 100 per cent firm yet whether that will be the Gregorian New Year or the Chinese New Year!" Blunt admits.
The Malaysian flag-carrier previously announced it would join the Oneworld alliance in the fourth quarter of this year, a move which would have pleasingly dovetailed into the November 26 launch of its daily 'A380 all the way' service between Sydney and London via Kuala Lumpur.
Oneworld membership will of course also allow Qantas Frequent Flyers to earn points and status credits when travelling on MAS, redeem their Qantas points on MAS flights and also enjoy access to MAS airport lounges, including the airline's newly-upgraded flagship Golden Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
04 Jul 2012
Total posts 15
Perhaps MH should know that its not all about them when it comes to being part of an alliance. I've got a couple thousands dollars worth of travel to Europe and I'd love to book it on MH but if they drag their feet any longer, the revenue will end up somewhere else.
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