Until Brazil’s TAM joins the Star Alliance in 2010, oneworld will remain the only global alliance with any airline members based in South America, through LAN Airlines and its affiliates LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. American Airlines is the leading airline serving the region internationally, and Iberia is the leading carrier between Latin America and Europe.
Mexicana, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink will add 26 destinations to the oneworld map ― 24 in Mexico plus Edmonton in Alberta and Oakland, California.
Oneworld’s established airlines already serve 13 gateways in Mexico, which is the world’s 11th most populous country, the 13th biggest economy and the eighth most popular tourist destination, attracting more than 21 million foreign visitors a year. Mexicana’s addition will expand the alliance’s coverage across the country to 39 destinations.
Mexicana’s addition will extend the alliance’s coverage of Latin America to almost 150 destinations. Globally, it will increase the oneworld network to nearly 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries. Oneworld airlines have a combined fleet of some 2,250 aircraft operating more than 8,000 flights a day, carrying 325 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US$100 billion.
Iberia has been supporting Mexicana through its 18-month alliance implementation project as its oneworld sponsor airline, with working groups covering some 35 streams of activity. Work is well advanced in linking up Mexicana’s IT systems to those of oneworld’s established members, the alliance says. The work has been eased by Mexicana switching its main platform earlier this year to the Amadeus Altea global distribution system, which is already used by seven other oneworld airlines.
Projects are also nearing completion to bring Mexicana’s various internal processes and procedures into line with the alliance’s requirements, and extensive employee training and communications programmes are now underway at the Mexicana and the alliance’s existing members, to ensure they are ready to provide oneworld’s customer services and benefits across the expanded alliance from November 10. Mexicana and its affiliates have been participating since September 1, 2008 in the Global Explorer round-the-world fare, which includes all oneworld members along with some other carriers which are not part of the alliance.
Mexicana itself flies to 41 destinations in 14 countries, including 11 destinations in Mexico. MexicanaClick’s network encompasses 29 destinations in Mexico, plus Havana in Cuba, and MexicanaLink operates to 18 destinations in Mexico.
Parent carrier Mexicana operates 63 aircraft: 26 Airbus A320s, 21 A319s, 10 A318s, two A330-200s, two Boeing 767-200ERs and two Boeing 767-300ERs. They operate more than 200 departures a day, using the two-letter airline code MX. Mexicana offers two classes, Executive and Economy, with in-flight entertainment screens throughout the fleet and complimentary in-flight meals and drinks in both cabins.
MexicanaClick operates 24 Fokker 100s and six Boeing 717s, making 160 departures a day. Its Fokker 100s operate a single “Coach plus” style cabin, with leather-covered seats at a 35-inch (89-centimeter) pitch. Its 717s offer two cabins, Executive and Economy. All passengers are offered complimentary in-flight drinks and snacks. MexicanaClick has its own flight code (QA) but all flights also carry Mexicana’s MX prefix under a codesharing agreement.
MexicanaLink operates 12 Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets, with more on order. They offer more than 70 departures a day, using the I6 code.
Mexicana boarded 8.3 million passengers in 2008, with MexicanaClick carrying another 3.4 million. MexicanaLink has not yet had a full year of operations. The three airlines employ 8,400 staff in total.
Mexico City ― the world’s second most populous metropolis ― is the airlines’ main hub, with Cancun and Guadalajara secondary hubs.
By the time it joins oneworld, Mexicana will have completed the migration of its main IT platforms to Amadeus Altea ― alongside oneworld partners British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines and Qantas, with Cathay Pacific also committed to transfer to this provider soon.
Among Mexicana’s most important bilateral alliance relationships are those with oneworld’s American Airlines and Iberia, including codesharing, frequent flyer links and through check-in. It also has established bilateral relationships with four of the alliance’s other existing partners ― Cathay Pacific (frequent flyer), Japan Airlines (frequent flyer, codesharing and through check-in), LAN Airlines (frequent flyer and through check-in) and Qantas (codesharing, frequent flyer and through check-in).
Related to this story:
- Malaysia Airlines to Join the Oneworld Alliance in 2012
- Russia’s S7 Airlines to Be Inducted into Oneworld Alliance in November
- Air Berlin and Subsidiary Niki to Join the Oneworld Alliance
- Kingfisher Airlines Becomes a Member-Elect of the Oneworld Alliance
- Mexicana Unveils Oneworld-Liveried Jets as it Joins the Alliance
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