Lately we’re not seeing a whole lot of action with the “big three” global alliances, when it comes to airlines being added, at least compared to a decade or two ago. So along those lines, there’s a pretty awesome development, as oneworld is getting yet another new member, and this time one based in Asia.
Philippine Airlines plans to join the oneworld alliance
Philippine Airlines has just announced that it’s joining the oneworld alliance, and that’s expected to be finalized at some point in 2027 (we don’t have a timeframe beyond that). This will make the national carrier of the Philippines the 16th member of the oneworld alliance, and only the second full member airline based in Southeast Asia, with the other being Malaysia Airlines.
As it’s described, this will give oneworld flyers access to Philippine Airlines’ domestic and Southeast Asia network (and beyond), while it will be transformative for the airline, fueling a stronger presence on the world stage, increasing passenger flows, enhancing loyalty offerings, and delivering greater efficiencies.
With Philippine Airlines joining oneworld, it’ll be possible to earn and redeem miles with all oneworld frequent flyer programs for travel on the airline, and also to take advantage of oneworld elite perks on the carrier, ranging from priority check-in, to lounge access, to preferred seat assignments.
Here’s what PAL Holdings President Lucio C. Tan III had to say:
“This is a defining and transformative moment for Philippine Airlines. Becoming a member of the oneworld Alliance and strengthening Southeast Asia’s representation within the group significantly brings the Philippines and the region closer to the world like never before. Together with our partners, we will deliver greater choice, consistent journeys, and a world-class travel experience that reflects the warmth of Filipino hospitality.”
Meanwhile here’s what American CEO and Chairman of oneworld, Robert Isom, had to ssay:
“PAL’s entry into oneworld supports our long-term strategic growth and strengthens our connectivity across key markets in the Asia Pacific region. The airline has a proud heritage and will serve a critical role in our Southeast Asia network.”
My take on Philippine Airlines joining oneworld
Among the major alliances, the oneworld alliance has definitely had the most momentum in recent years. For example, since last year, we’ve seen Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, and Oman Air, join the alliance, and now we can add yet another airline to the list.
This is a win-win, and fantastic news. Up until now, Philippine Airlines has operated pretty independently — the airline had some random partnerships, but hasn’t really had too much widespread cooperation, or a cohesive global partnership strategy.
We have increasingly seen Philippine Airlines partner with individual oneworld carriers in some form. For example, for the past few years, American has had a partnership with the carrier, including a codeshare agreement (though doesn’t fly to Manila). However, I kind of viewed that as being more motivated by American’s complete lack of an Asia strategy, rather than some desire to cooperate super closely. Meanwhile we also recently saw Philippine Airlines expand its partnership with Qatar Airways, introducing reciprocal award redemptions.
As a oneworld flyer, I’m delighted to have more options for earning and redeeming miles, and taking advantage of elite perks. The more members of an alliance, the merrier, as far as I’m concerned.
It is worth pointing out that we were possibly expecting another oneworld airline, but it wasn’t this one. Specifically, we know that Starlux Airlines has been wanting to join oneworld, with the company’s CEO several times confirming those desires, though nothing was ever shared on oneworld’s end.
It seems that the issue with Starlux may have been how veto rights in the alliance work, or at least used to work — I believe they still apply, but maybe things have changed.
The oneworld alliance has four founding airlines that are still in business, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. One of the perks of being a founding member of the alliance is that you get veto rights on new members joining.
As you can imagine, this can create a conflict of interest — it could be in the best interest of the alliance at large for a new member to join, while an individual founding member might not view it that way. One would assume Cathay Pacific has the most to say here — was the airline okay with Philippine Airlines, but not with Starlux Airlines? I wouldn’t be surprised, and it does seem that’s what’s going on here.
Bottom line
Philippine Airlines will be joining the oneworld alliance in 2027, an announcement that sort of comes out of left field. It’s great to see another Southeast Asian carrier joining the airline alliance. It really is impressive to see the momentum at oneworld in adding new members, especially among airlines that weren’t previously in alliances (unlike SkyTeam and Star Alliance, where the new members have mostly been alliance swaps).
More options for earning and redeeming miles is always a good thing, so color me excited. Now what about Starlux? 😉
What do you make of Philippine Airlines joining oneworld?
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