Reuters reported on Sunday that the state-owned Oman Air had decided to apply for membership in the Oneworld Alliance, whose chairman currently is Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways.
Oman Air and Qatar Airways already have a codeshare agreement, but there are no reciprocal miles earning or redeeming for both airlines’ frequent fliers.
Here’s an excerpt from Reuters:
Oman Air said it had approached Qatar Airways, whose chief executive Akbar Al Baker is the chairman of the airline group, for guidance in making its application.
“As the industry recovers from COVID, airline alliances are going to be more important than ever,” the airline said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
“This will provide us with excellent global connectivity, a seamless travel experience and more valuable loyalty offerings for our guests.”
A oneworld spokesman said the alliance was at any time in talks with prospective members but that it did not comment on specific airlines.
Oman Air’s destinations as of October 1, 2021:
Conclusion
This appears to be a very preliminary announcement from Oman Air. The airline had merely “approached” Mr. Akbar Al Baker and seems to have not officially applied yet. However, if this comes to fruition, expect the airline to join in 2023/2024.
Not sure if Oman Air would bring any additional destinations to the Oneworld, beyond one or two domestic, that other alliance airlines are not serving yet.
They have had some attractive business fares from Europe to the Middle East and some of the destinations they serve in Asia. I never bought them, as they were not part of an alliance, and I felt that I would have wasted the money. However, they have been a good option for those not interested in airline statuses or earning and redeeming miles.
One of the positives of this announces is that the CEO of Qatar Airways won’t threaten to leave the Oneworld Alliance for few months, although he has been relatively quiet as of late (probably due to him being the chairman of Oneworld right now).
I have flown with the airline once from Dubai to Oman and credited the flight to Etihad Guest.
