TWA network joins oneworld

2001 年 12 月 5 日

TWA's regional carriers, which operated under the Trans World Express brand, have become affiliate members of oneworld™, the leading global airline alliance, as their name changed yesterday (Sunday, 2 December) to AmericanConnection.

At the same time, American Airlines itself took over the operating codes and marketing of all services that had been flown by TWA, which it acquired in April, bringing this expanded AA schedule into the network covered by oneworld services and benefits.

The addition of the expanded AA and AmericanConnection network adds a total of 864 daily departures to the oneworld timetable, and brings 22 new destinations to the oneworld map, taking the number of airports served by the eight member airlines and their affiliates to 570 in 135 countries.

oneworld comprises eight of the world's leading airlines. Besides American, they include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile, Qantas and more than 20 affiliate regional carriers.

AA's expansion makes it even easier and more rewarding for their customers to reach more of the USA – and makes it easier and more rewarding for former TWA customers to reach more of the world.

All oneworld airlines offer the same, special levels of care and privileges to each other's customers. This means that members of their frequent flyer schemes can earn and redeem miles on all eligible flights and fares offered by all oneworld airlines. Higher tier frequent flyer members can access any of the alliance member's airport lounges, no matter which of the oneworld airlines they are using, along with priority check-in, standby and waitlisting, and preferred seating and boarding.

The airlines work together to make transfers between their flights as smooth as possible, to provide one another's customers with greater levels of support – and to offer some of the best value and most flexible alliance fares available, including the popular oneworld Explorer round-the-world tickets and the Visit passes.

Since TWA joined the American group, its 168 aircraft have been repainted in a new colour scheme matching AA's with interiors refitted to AA's "More Room" style. Its entire fleet should look like standard AA aircraft by June next year. oneworld logos will be added to their fuselages from Sunday, when TWA airport gates and ticket counters will have American Airlines and oneworld signage installed. All TWA tickets issued remain good for travel on these AA services.

Although the TWA brand disappeared this weekend, until TWA is fully integrated into American Airlines, TWA Airlines LLC will continue to operate as a separate, subsidiary of AA, with its own operating certificate.

Three airlines are now operating under the AmericanConnection brand - Trans States Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines, and Corporate Airlines – linking the St Louis hub with 38 points throughout the USA and Canada, offering total of 290 daily departures.

Further background on each of the other carriers are available on their web sites:
www.aerlingus.ie
www.aa.com
www.britishairways.com
www.cathaypacific.com
www.finnair.com
www.iberia.es
www.lanchile.com
www.qantas.com.au