Oneworld Opening Branded Lounges, Starting At ICN

Japan Airlines no longer flies to Incheon. (Does ZipAir count?)

In small lounges, it's an inefficient use of space to hive off an area for F / highest tier passengers.

Choosing ICN is interesting in light of the pending merger between Korean and Asiana. oneworld has had low market share in S. Korea relative to Skyteam and Star, the latter of which will also be a small player if the merger is approved.
There is value in offering amenities comparable to dominant alliances and their carriers in their major hub airports and oneworld could be trying to validate the value both now with Korean and Asiana both operating and potentially after Asiana is folding into KE

I don't think any of the oneworld airlines even operate F to ICN, so it would literally be a status lounge only.

I thought JAL uses GMP instead of ICN.

Yes. Correct @Ben JL operates GMP-HND

I initially thought the same thing when I saw the headline, but the more I thought about it, it actually makes perfect sense. Since ICN isn’t home to any oneworld airlines, I assume there are no airline operated lounges for F&J pax flying on any of those eight airlines...(maybe 9 with CZ). While they may have a small presence, it’s still a presence and I guess they figure combined they can be stronger, even if some of them only offer one daily flight. If you’re on say Qatar or AA, I suppose it would be nice to have a decent (albeit small) lounge to visit before departure to relax and get some work done.

And to your point about a Korean/Asiana post merger Star presence, maybe they’ll be next with this sort of lounge there?

I assume that's the point. Pick large global destinations where multiple oneworld airlines fly but none of their members is based.

As many comments have pointed out, JAL doesn't fly to ICN. They terminated their NRT-ICN route long ago.
From ICN, they only have codeshare flights operated by Korean Air. I'm not sure if JL marketed Korean Air flight boarding pass will let you access this Oneworld lounge.

I think they should convert the BA lounge in SEA to a Oneworld lounge. It's in need of a renovation as it is, and with BA, JAL, Finnair and Qatar all operating out of the S gates where the current BA lounge is located, it seems logical choice. All of the Alaska lounges are inconvenient to the S gates.

That will help OW passenger avoid the bRitish Airways Shenanigans when trying to access their lounge. As a founding member of OW, their abject behavior in systematically trying to prevent other OW pax from using their mediocre lounge needs to be called for. Too bad so few bloggers actually do it.

It effectively is at this point for OW elites flying from the South satellite. Probably made more sense before AA dumped the LHR flight.

JAL subsidiary Zipair does fly NRT to ICN though. I don’t think the two airlines codeshare but it says you can redeem JAL miles on Zipair and vice versa.

Yes. JAL doesn’t fly to ICN at all. They fly GMP-HND and that’s it. Their LCC subsidiary Zipair flies NRT-ICN though. They aren’t listed as codeshare partners but it looks like you can redeem JAL points on Zipair flights and vice versa.

That's where their relationship (so far as customers are concerned) begins and ends. AFAIK ZIPAIR isn't considered to be part of JAL Group, they don't codeshare, and any ZIPAIR flight you take wouldn't be considered to be a oneworld flight wrt to lounge access.

Smart move by Oneworld. Plenty of Oneworld airlines fly to ICN despite it not being a hub and it’s a strong market that’s growing. On a side note, I feel like Oneworld could use a lounge in SFO. Although it is primarily a Star Alliance hub, a lot of foreign Oneworld airlines also fly to SFO. Right now, there is a Cathay Pacific Lounge, JAL Sakura Lounge, and British Airways Lounge in the A side of the International Terminal, each of which are relatively cramped. I also heard that Qantas passengers had to use the Air France-KLM lounge there because there was too little space at the other Oneworld lounges. It would make a lot more sense if they combined the CX, JL, and BA lounges into one large Oneworld lounge for international passengers. They should separate it into business class and first class since most of the Oneworld airlines send their first class products to SFO. They added an Admiral’s Club in the new Terminal 1, which is connected airside, and a new Alaska lounge, but those are domestic lounges and are useless for people flying say Japan Airlines business class as far as I know.

Yeah Brianair.....but they aren't a part of OneWorld......so......Mute Point.......

No. Unless the actual airline is a member of the Alliance, it does not count. Like IAG owning British Airways and Iberia (which are both OW members) and they also own Vueling, Level, Air Europa, and Aer Lingus (which are not members).

So are those 3 OW member lounges literally RIGHT next to each other and physically share walls or something?

Does SFO have available space for such a new mega lounge?

If neither of those is true, then it can't happen. Unless SFO is building a new international terminal (which they could be doing, I just don't pay attention to that airport).

Pointing this out because lots of commenter always say/wish that Austin had this lounge or that lounge and they literally have NO SPACE for anything.

Well now that Qatar has bought into BA it seems they’re taking the same approach giving off business/first from emerald sapphire

I don’t recall if Sakura lounge is immediately next door to Cathay, they are at least in the same hallway. BA’s lounge is on the main floor and is much bigger than the others and used to offer direct lounge boarding. I’m trying to recall if the emirates lounge is next to BA but it might be across the concourse

SEA, YYZ, BOS, GRU, CDG, FRA, DXB, SIN, and BKK all come to mind as good airports to build a Oneworld lounge.

@classcair agree, and the silly receptionists at the SEA Alaska lounges were refusing to let me in as a Qantas Platinum One /Emerald member which entitles me access to their lounges. It happened three times at two different Alaska lounges. they were soon read the riot act by me and they succumbed.

There were official Oneworld lounges c.2015, e.g. at ZRH, which was an Air Berlin hub then.

JAL Sakura lounge in SFO was permanently closed in this June. Not next to each other but in same hallway, so maybe CX can take over the space and convert it to F lounge, and convert current lounge as J lounge, could make sense.

Good news. I like this strategy.

Space Mountain called and they want their lounge back...

Jokes aside, looks pretty good

So what's going to happen to the current *not OneWorld* lounge at LAX?

SEA definitely needs a proper lounge for oneworld passengers given it's the largest hub for a member and the current lounge offerings all have the same problem - no showers.

This is just nuts.

What's the advantage of having an alliance lounge vs an airline lounge that is in that alliance?

Oneworld lounge in Cape Town would be nice, but I suspect they'll wait until the new terminal (eventually) gets built.

Us Brits are hoping for an alternative to BAs pitiful and overcrowded "Galleries" offering in LHR... Can't come soon enough

Do you honestly think that BA will allow a OW lounge at any of London's airports?

There are a few obvious places in Europe for those too, particularly at ST/*A hubs. I can think of AMS first, and if OW can regroup to leave from the same terminal then FRA and CDG.

Because no one airline has a significant enough presence at that airport to justify the cost to that airline to running it i suspect.

Alex Cruz? You mean, share the operating costs?

By the way, BA is planning a major overhaul of the T5 lounges. Not certain about timing but it's coming.

BKK already has CX, JL and QR lounges, so I doubt it would be a likely candidate.

With JAL, Qatar, and Oman Air lounges - as well as 10 Miracle and 4 Coral lounges - I don't think BKK is getting another lounge, but it would be nice for it to get one, given how many oneWorld carriers fly to BKK.

LAX's Master Plan includes a new Terminal 0 and Terminal 9 in the 2032 time frame. Adjacent to United's Terminal 8, Terminal 9 would be a Star Alliance hub with full Customs facilities. One would hope the gates will be sufficiently spaced to accommodate all wide-bodies side-by-side (reference the SEATAC debacle). And, it would make sense to have a Star Alliance lounge . . . large enough to accommodate surge occupancy. That's the future of things.

In the US the only cities that I can see would be SEA, LAS and maybe ATL. AA has a very small and outdated club at ATL.

Sin will also not get a OW lounge. Doesn’t make sense with airlines operating from different terminals and also with QR, 2x QF, BA and CX lounges present, there is no need for one.

Staff have been hinting of major refurbishment of the whole of the J/F and CCR wing at T5, it won’t be one of these new OW lounge concepts and remain a BA affair. If it gets approval will be very welcome but I expect at least 18months of disruption and more crowding.

ATL?? u having a laugh?
There are zero transcontinental flights with AA from atlanta.

In SIN, you can also count two (2) lounges for Qantas. They have a both a First lounge and a separate Business lounge.

Flying Qatar out of ICN in March so planning to visit. Assuming we can get in - this is a small lounge and IIRC there are a number of evening oneworld flights. Qatar is the last one, so hope we don't have to wait until all the others clear out.

I would love a OW lounge at YYZ but it probably isn't going to happen. Practically speaking, only 2 OW airlines operate out of YYZ (Cathay and BA). Yeah. AA also operates there as well but they use the US preclearance section which is totally separated from the rest of the terminal.

I was surprised the likes of Cathay didn't have their own lounge at ICN, so yes I can see this getting very crowded with such a small space for the number of oneworld airlines departing, especially if that's around the same time.

SEA? Both Alaska and BA have lounges there already. Why do you think one would be needed there?

Why do I keep seeing SEA as a suggestion? An airport with three oneworld lounges already.