Latest news with #NatPieper
Travel Weekly
12-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Airline alliance Oneworld is playing catch-up in tech integration
The Oneworld alliance has set a goal of integrating each of its 15 member airlines into Oneworld's common technology platform by the end of the year. Initially, Oneworld expects the platform to facilitate cross-airline boarding passes on multi-airline itineraries so that flyers can board flights using whichever airline's app they prefer. Later, Oneworld expects the platform to facilitate cross-airline bag-tracking and lounge access, said Oneworld CEO Nat Pieper during a press briefing in late June. Oneworld has lagged behind competitors SkyTeam and Star Alliance on cross-airline integrations. SkyTeam, for example, was already facilitating multi-airline check-in last summer on 95% of the group's global volume, CEO Patrick Roux said at the time. Pieper said that progress has quickened over the past several months in the alliance, whose largest members are American Airlines, British Airways, Alaska Airlines, Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines. Oneworld's other members are Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and Sri Lankan Airlines. Malaysia and Sri Lankan became the first two airlines to integrate into the Oneworld common platform last November. Currently eight airlines have integrated. Oneworld hasn't made the entire list public, but the largest airline to have done so is Qatar, Pieper said. Crucially, he said, American and British Airways will be integrated by the end of the summer, boosting momentum and scale. American alone accounts for more than 43% of the seats on offer by Oneworld airlines this month, Cirium schedule data shows. Pieper says that there is peer pressure between Oneworld CEOs to integrate into the platform. "Once you build momentum, others are more willing to produce," he said.
Arab News
06-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Oman Air joins oneworld, unlocking slew of benefits
oneworld has welcomed Oman Air as its 15th member airline. As the flag carrier of Oman, Oman Air strengthens the alliance's presence across the Middle East and unlocks new opportunities for global travel. 'We are proud to welcome Oman Air to the oneworld family,' said Nat Pieper, CEO of oneworld. 'Oman Air brings valuable strategic reach and award-winning product and service to the alliance. This partnership opens up exciting new connections for our customers, particularly across the Gulf and South Asia, and reinforces oneworld's position as the premium alliance for international travelers.' oneworld customers can now access an extended network of destinations across Oman Air's growing global schedule — including the launch of a new non-stop Muscat-Amsterdam service. As a full oneworld member airline, Oman Air will provide oneworld Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby customers with benefits including earning and redeeming miles, earning status points, priority check-in and boarding and lounge access. Likewise, Oman Air's top-tier customers will gain access to oneworld priority benefits including a network of nearly 700 premium airport lounges globally, as well as newly opened oneworld branded lounges in Amsterdam's Schiphol and Seoul's Incheon Airports. 'Oman Air is honored to be joining the oneworld alliance, whose members and global footprint represent the best of what international travelers want to experience,' said Con Korfiatis, CEO of Oman Air. 'We are thrilled to be able to welcome oneworld customers to Oman to experience our unique culture, stunning mountain excursions, beautiful beaches, and, above all, the warm hospitality of the Omani people.' Oman Air, with its hub at Muscat International Airport, serves 42 destinations across 22 countries and territories globally, including key oneworld hubs around the world.
Skift
03-07-2025
- Business
- Skift
Oneworld CEO on New Lounges, Tech Upgrades, and Where the Alliance Falls Short
When Skift last caught up with Pieper he had 13 airline CEO bosses; now he's got 15. Between digital upgrades and global growth, they're keeping him busy. Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series What are the top trends impacting hotels, airlines, and online bookings? We speak to the executives shaping the future of travel. What are the top trends impacting hotels, airlines, and online bookings? We speak to the executives shaping the future of travel. Learn More Airline alliances are often seen as slow-moving and bureaucratic, but oneworld has been unusually active. Under CEO Nat Pieper, now 14 months into the role, the alliance has added members and expanded its regional influence — most recently with Oman Air joining as its 15th member. The Muscat-based carrier joins Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian in giving oneworld an even more dominant position in the Middle East. Speaking at a recent media briefing, Pieper defended concerns about possible over-representation. He argued the move 'clearly cemented oneworld as the alliance of choice in that region' and commended the Middle East for investing in global business and global tourism projects. "Having three core members gives us an advantage that we will promote,' Pieper added. For all its Gulf clout, oneworld has glaring absences elsewhere. As well as South America and Sub-Saharan Africa, it lacks member airlines based in two of the world's most important aviation markets: India and mainland China. Rival Star Alliance includes Air India and Air China among its members, while SkyTeam has China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines. Nat Pieper JOINED oneworld FROM ALASKA AIRLINES. CREDIT: ONEWORLD Pieper didn't dodge the criticism. Describing the situation as 'a classic question of depth versus breadth,' the alliance chief said its 15 airlines already offer 95% coverage of global demand. He did however keep the door open for possible new entrants: '[India and mainland China] are two white spaces that we would welcome and are interested in, and are always studying the potential for further members. 'I would never say never in terms of not adding another, but I think our primary focus is really to deepen the commitment and the cooperation that our airlines generate with each other. That's a message I've heard loud and clear from each of my 15 airline CEO bosses.' On paper, IndiGo could be a prime candidate. India's largest carrier launched long-haul services to Europe earlier this week as it begins its next phase of rapid expansion. However, speaking at the Skift India Forum in March, Pieter Elbers, IndiGo CEO, said alliance membership wasn't a priority for the airline. Oneworld previously had Kingfisher Airlines flying the flag as an India-based member before the carrier collapsed in 2012. For all of its coverage gaps, one country that definitely isn't short of oneworld members is the United States. Anchored by founding member American Airlines, the group also includes Alaska Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines is set to become the alliance's 16th member following its 2024 merger with Alaska – but don't expect any meaningful developments this year. 'That's really in the hands of our Alaska colleagues,' Pieper explained. 'From our perspective, any time a new airline joins the alliance, the tasks are in the thousands. The Microsoft project list is beyond comprehension.' The two airlines are still working to merge their passenger service systems (PSS), the backbone of digital and customer operations. 'If we were to accelerate and bring Hawaiian in now, before Alaska and Hawaiian have merged their PSSs… you'd have to do that twice, and it just doesn't make sense.' The oneworld chief suggested Hawaiian's ascension to the club will come next year, adding: 'I would expect that's a 2026 item.' Before joining oneworld, Pieper was SVP of fleet, finance, and alliances at Alaska Airlines. Rather appropriately, he oversaw the carrier's own entry into the organization in March 2021. Bridging Digital Divides Beyond expansion, one of Pieper's biggest priorities is digital integration – an area that often lags across all three of the global alliances. Key to the organization's value proposition is a consistency of experience across its 900-destination network. The goal is for travelers to get the same experience whether they fly on a single airline or several. Seamless consistency between individual airline apps is a further priority. 'We want the guests to be able to use their technology of choice… but a quality of experience across the entire journey is so important and the key to that is having a living backbone of data, a digital network that each member airline can use to facilitate those connections across every facet of the journey,' said Pieper. So far, around nine member airlines have been digitally linked into a new oneworld framework. This enables the exchange of mobile boarding passes and other essential data. The goal is full integration of all 15 members by year-end. 'Once the digital network is up and running… then you can really start moving forward with what we think would be industry-leading offerings,' Pieper added, citing areas such as digital bag tracking and integrated lounge access. Where Next for Oneworld Lounges? On the topic of airports, the CEO also provided an update on oneworld's relatively new push into shared lounges. The alliance opened two branded spaces over the last year: one in Seoul, and the other in Amsterdam. 'Both lounges have fantastic NPS scores,' said Pieper. Despite an earlier goal of up to 10 new lounges in five years, progress has been incremental. 'Am I going to be cutting a ribbon in the next 30 days? No,' Pieper admitted. 'But there are a handful of opportunities that I'm very excited about.' Speaking to Skift last year, Pieper revealed that Jakarta, Rome, and Istanbul were on the list of candidate cities. 'We have a good couple of folks allocated to that task, flying all over the place, meeting with airport authorities. As you would expect, every market is different. Every airport is different, but we see it as a good opportunity to deliver value across the membership and it's something that we want to open more.' Inside the First-Ever Oneworld Airport Lounge With a funky design and innovative features, the new Seoul lounge has the potential to re-establish the oneworld alliance's market position. Read More What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Observer
30-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Oman Air joins oneworld alliance
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, announced on Monday a myriad of potential benefits for inbound tourism as well as sustainable initiatives aligning with Oman Vision 2040. Additionally, they have introduced a range of services and facilities for guests, including access to hundreds of new connections and all-new loyalty benefits across the world. Oman Air, which recently announced the expansion of its network, including the launch of a non-stop Muscat–Amsterdam route from July 1, 2025, officially joined the oneworld alliance as its 15th member airline. This move creates significant new benefits for its guests and elevates Oman's position on the global map. During a press meeting with the top officials of the carrier, the management expressed hope that Oman Air's membership in one of the leading global alliances would increase international awareness and inbound tourism potential for Oman. 'Oman Air is honoured to be joining the oneworld alliance, whose members and global footprint represent the best of what international travellers want to experience. We will be able to offer seamless travel to over 900 destinations in 170 countries and territories, adding to the limitless benefits to the end-user, while keeping pace with the strategic goals of Oman Vision 2040,' said Con Korfiatis, CEO of Oman Air. As a full oneworld member airline, Oman Air's top-tier guests will gain access to all oneworld priority benefits, including a network of nearly 700 Business lounges globally, as well as newly opened oneworld branded lounges in Amsterdam's Schiphol and Seoul's Incheon Airports. Likewise, Oman Air will provide oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby customers with a full suite of oneworld benefits, including earning and redeeming miles, earning status points, priority check-in and boarding and lounge access. Through seamless connectivity across the airline's 15 world-class member airlines, travellers from key markets like the United States, Japan and Australia can now enjoy smoother, more convenient journeys to Oman. Oman Air has announced an expanded double daily Muscat-London route starting in October. Oman Air now serves 42 destinations across 22 countries, with onward connections to hundreds more through the oneworld alliance. 'We are proud to welcome Oman Air to the oneworld family,' added Nat Pieper, CEO of oneworld. 'Oman Air brings valuable strategic reach and award-winning product and service to the alliance. This partnership opens up exciting new connections for our customers, particularly across the Gulf and South Asia, and reinforces oneworld's position as the leading alliance for international travellers.'
Muscat Daily
30-06-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Oman Air joins Oneworld alliance, expands reach and benefits
Muscat – In a strategic move set to boost inbound tourism, Oman Air has officially joined the Oneworld alliance, becoming its 15th full member. Its inclusion in one of the world's most prestigious airline networks positions Oman as a more connected and accessible destination than ever before, opening new travel corridors to and from over 900 destinations across 170 countries. This milestone follows more than two years of integration efforts and is expected to drive tourism, economic growth and global recognition for the sultanate. Speaking during a breakfast meeting at W Hotel on Monday, Con Korfiatis, CEO of the airline, said, 'Oman Air is honoured to be joining the Oneworld alliance. We are thrilled to welcome Oneworld customers to experience Oman's rich culture, mountain adventures, serene beaches and heartfelt hospitality. For Oman-based travellers, this opens up a world of seamless global journeys.' As a full member, Oman Air's top-tier guests will now enjoy access to nearly 700 business lounges worldwide, including newly opened Oneworld-branded lounges at Amsterdam Schiphol and Seoul Incheon. Guests will also benefit from priority check-in, boarding, mileage earning and redemption, and full status recognition across the alliance. Con Korfiatis, CEO of Oman Air The move is set to attract more visitors from key long-haul markets such as the United States, Japan and Australia, offering them smoother travel to Oman through partner airlines. Welcoming the development, Nat Pieper, CEO of Oneworld, said, 'Oman Air brings valuable strategic reach and award-winning service to our network. This partnership enhances our connectivity across the Gulf and South Asia, and strengthens our position as the alliance of choice for international travellers. With Oneworld membership, Oman Air not only enhances its service portfolio but also places the sultanate firmly on the global travel map as a must-visit destination.' The announcement comes as Oman Air expands its global footprint, with new direct flights from Muscat to Amsterdam launching on July 1, and a double daily Muscat–London service starting in October. Oman Air currently operates flights to 42 destinations in 22 countries, and this partnership significantly increases its reach.
