Friday, 2 October 2026

The Three Major Airline Alliances

I’m always thinking about stories I could share here, and while browsing through my photos, I came across an aircraft with “Oneworld” on the side, which sparked some ideas. Let's look at the three major airline Alliances.

When you book a flight with a major international airline, you may have noticed a small logo alongside the airline's own branding – Star Alliance, Oneworld or SkyTeam. These three organisations are the world's three major global airline alliances, bringing together airlines from around the world to create huge international networks.

But how did these alliances begin, and which airlines belong to each one?

Here is a look at the three major alliances and their current members.

⭐ STAR ALLIANCE

Founded: 1997

Star Alliance was the first of the three major global airline alliances, being established in 1997.

The founding airlines were Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Thai Airways and United Airlines.

The alliance has since grown into a global network spanning airlines across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

As of September 2026, Star Alliance has 26 member airlines.

Star Alliance members – alphabetical order

AirlineJoined
Aegean Airlines2010
Air Canada1997 – Founding member
Air China2007
Air India2014
Air New Zealand1999
All Nippon Airways (ANA)1999
Asiana Airlines2003
Austrian Airlines2000
Avianca2012
Brussels Airlines2009
Copa Airlines2012
Croatia Airlines2004
EgyptAir2008
Ethiopian Airlines2011
EVA Air2013
ITA Airways2026
LOT Polish Airlines2003
Lufthansa1997 – Founding member
Shenzhen Airlines2012
Singapore Airlines2000
South African Airways2006
SWISS2006
TAP Air Portugal2005
Thai Airways1997 – Founding member
Turkish Airlines2008
United Airlines1997 – Founding member

ITA Airways became Star Alliance's 26th member in 2026, following its integration with the Lufthansa Group.

🌎 ONEWORLD

Founded: 1999

Two years after Star Alliance was created, Oneworld was launched in 1999.

Its founding airlines were American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Canadian Airlines and Finnair.

Canadian Airlines was subsequently absorbed into Air Canada, while the other founding carriers continued as members.

Oneworld has developed a particularly strong presence across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.

Oneworld members – alphabetical order

AirlineJoined
Alaska Airlines2021
American Airlines1999 – Founding member
British Airways1999 – Founding member
Cathay Pacific1999 – Founding member
Fiji Airways2025
Finnair1999 – Founding member
Hawaiian Airlines2026
Iberia1999
Japan Airlines2007
Malaysia Airlines2013
Oman Air2025
Qantas1999 – Founding member
Qatar Airways2013
Royal Air Maroc2020
Royal Jordanian2007
SriLankan Airlines2014

One of the most recent additions is Hawaiian Airlines, which officially joined Oneworld on the 23rd of April 2026. It became the alliance's third US-based member, alongside American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

The current Oneworld membership comprises 16 airlines.

Qantas is particularly significant for Australian travelers, having been one of Oneworld's founding members.

🔵 SKYTEAM

Founded: 2000

The youngest of the three major global alliances is SkyTeam.

It was founded by just four airlines:

Aeromexico, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air.

SkyTeam has subsequently expanded to include airlines from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

SkyTeam members – alphabetical order

AirlineJoined
Aerolíneas Argentinas2012
Aeromexico2000 – Founding member
Air Europa2007
Air France2000 – Founding member
China Airlines2011
China Eastern2011
Delta Air Lines2000 – Founding member
Garuda Indonesia2014
Kenya Airways2007
KLM2004
Korean Air2000 – Founding member
Middle East Airlines2012
SAS2024
Saudia2012
TAROM2010
Vietnam Airlines2010
Virgin Atlantic2023
XiamenAir2012

SkyTeam's membership has changed considerably over the years, with airlines joining and leaving the alliance.

One of the more recent additions was SAS, which joined SkyTeam in September 2024 following its departure from Star Alliance.

✈️ THE THREE ALLIANCES AT A GLANCE

AllianceFoundedCurrent members
⭐ Star Alliance199726
🌎 Oneworld199916
🔵 SkyTeam200018

The three alliances therefore represent a huge proportion of the world's international airline network.

 So, what does this mean for Australian travelers?

Australia has a particularly strong connection with the global alliance system.

Qantas is a founding member of Oneworld, while Virgin Australia has extensive partnerships with airlines outside the three major alliances.

Air New Zealand, Australia's closest international neighbour, is a member of Star Alliance.

For Australians travelling internationally, the alliance system can make it possible to combine flights operated by different airlines while retaining frequent-flyer benefits and other reciprocal privileges.

For example, a passenger could potentially begin a journey in Australia with Qantas, connect through an Oneworld hub such as Doha, London or Los Angeles, and continue their journey on another Oneworld member airline.

Similarly, Star Alliance provides extensive connections through hubs such as Singapore, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Auckland.

🌍 WHY DO AIRLINES JOIN ALLIANCES?

The basic idea behind an airline alliance is cooperation.

Instead of having to operate aircraft to every possible destination around the world, an airline can work with alliance partners to provide customers with access to a much larger network.

The benefits can include:

  • Connecting flights between member airlines
  • Reciprocal frequent-flyer benefits
  • Lounge access
  • Priority check-in and boarding
  • Additional baggage benefits
  • Easier connections
  • Joint marketing
  • Greater access to international destinations

For airlines, alliances can also provide access to markets that would otherwise be difficult or uneconomical to serve independently.


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