Kingfisher to join oneworld

[KeithMEL]

http://www.oneworld.com/ow/news/details?objectID=20873

India's leading domestic carrier and only five-star airline, Kingfisher Airlines, is lining up to join oneworld® after signing a memorandum of understanding as its first step towards full membership of the world's leading quality airline alliance, subject to Indian regulatory approval.

The agreement was concluded at a meeting between Kingfisher Airlines' Chairman Vijay Mallya and Chief Executives from oneworld's 11 existing member airlines, which include some of the best and biggest names in the industry.

Kingfisher Airlines today applied to India's Ministry of Civil Aviation for authority to proceed with its membership of oneworld.

A target date for Kingfisher Airlines to join the alliance will be confirmed once this approval is gained. The process to bring any airline on board normally takes around 18 months to complete, so Kingfisher Airlines could be expected to start flying as part of oneworld during 2011.

[edison]

Excellent news!

[Savage25]

[jjpb3]

Now that's a quality addition.

[9V-JKL]

Is it possible then to redeem some miles to fly on Vijay's ACJ

[Gunners]

Oneworld gets Kingfisher and Star Alliance gets Air India. Star Alliance going for numbers over quality.

I wonder if Kingfisher will become a member of Oneworld before Air India becomes a full member of Star Alliance.

[HUGE AL]

FINALLY!!! Something to comment about!

This is an awesome addition and yet another reason to run from Scary Team!

[UMD]

So, does this mean that Jet Airways will go to Skyteam instead? I actually prefer Jet Airways to Kingfisher. Kingfisher is great at marketing but the service on board including the maintenance of the hardwares (problematic and poor selection of AVOD as well as the upkeep of the business class seats on its A332) is not yet up to the standard of Jet.

Having said this, IT does have the best lounge in the whole India at Hyderabad International.

[HUGE AL]

Having said this, IT does have the best lounge in the whole India at Hyderabad International.

Has anyone done a report on this?

[UMD]

Has anyone done a report on this?

I know I have some pictures stashed somewhere in my computer. Let me look for them and I will post them. The lounge does have a feel of Virgin's lounge even the color scheme is very close.

The Kingfisher First section has the view to the tarmac.

[B727]

I don't even know why I signed up for Kingfisher's FFP last year, but seeing that they're tying up with OneWorld, I might as well bank my miles with AA, just like I do with my G3 miles (it's either that or EK)