Marking a milestone in its 89-year history, Alaska Airlines celebrated its first day as a member of oneworld on March 31. Alaska became the 14th full member of the global alliance, just eight months after receiving a formal invitation from oneworld in July 2020.
With safety protocols in place due to the pandemic, Alaska and oneworld hosted a virtual celebration and news conference in Seattle, the airline’s hometown. Fellow airline members from around the world welcomed Alaska to the alliance with video greetings and provided versions of employees performing the Alaska Safety Dance, briefly renamed the Global Safety Dance.
For Alaska and its guests, oneworld provides a global network of flights to as many as 1,000 destinations across more than 170 countries and territories. With its membership in the alliance, Alaska will add seven new airline partners and enhance its six existing partnerships with oneworld members.
“We’re delighted to welcome Alaska to the oneworld family. As the industry recovers from COVID, airline alliances are going to be more important than ever. Alaska will be an asset to the alliance, positioning oneworld to deliver even more value to our customers and member airlines,” said oneworld Governing Board Chairman and Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.