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There's a New Airline in the Oneworld Alliance (Sort Of)

June 03, 2018
•
3 min read
Fiji Airways
There's a New Airline in the Oneworld Alliance (Sort Of)
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Oneworld is one of the three major airline alliances: Oneworld (American Airlines and partners), SkyTeam (Delta and partners) and Star Alliance (United and partners). It currently has a roster of 13 airlines and 30 affiliate members — like American Airlines' regional partners and LATAM subsidiary airlines.

And this weekend at the IATA's Annual General Meeting, Oneworld took steps to get even larger by adding a new airline to its alliance... kind of. Fiji Airways will become the first Oneworld Connect member. (The date will be announced at a later time.)

What's Oneworld Connect?

Oneworld Connect is a new membership type in the Oneworld alliance that's a step down from being a full member. Fiji Airways is the first — and so far only — Oneworld Connect member. All Oneworld elites will be granted priority check-in and priority boarding on Oneworld Connect airlines.

However, only alliance airlines acting as "Oneworld sponsors" will share further benefits with the Oneworld Connect airline. These benefits include:

  • Through check-in of bags and passengers: Allowing passengers to switch between the Sponsor airline and the Connect airline without having to claim and re-check your bags
  • Earn mileage rewards: Sponsor airline frequent flyers can collect miles for flying on the Connect airline (and visa versa)
  • Redeem mileage rewards: Sponsor airline frequent flyers can redeem miles to fly on the Connect airline (and visa versa)
  • Earn frequent flyer status points: Sponsor airline frequent flyers can earn their way toward elite status by flying on the Connect airline (and visa versa)
  • Access to select lounges at key airports for premium and top-tier customers: First and business class passengers and elites will be able to access lounges between Sponsor and Connect airlines
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Who are Fiji Airways' sponsors?

Good news for AAdvantage elites: American Airlines is one of the four sponsors of Fiji Airways' Oneworld Connect membership. The other three are British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.

Since Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines aren't sponsors, Fiji Airways' Oneworld Connect membership won't mean much to members and elites of these mileage programs.

What does this mean for American Airlines elites and mileage collectors?

American Airlines and Fiji Airways already have a codeshare and frequent flyer partnership, so the changes will be minimal. AAdvantage members can already book and redeem AA miles on Fiji Airways, and the codeshare partnership allows passengers to check bags through to their final destination when traveling on the same reservation.

However, one notable improvement will be the ability to earn toward American Airlines elite status on Fiji Airways-marketed flights once the Oneworld Connect partnership goes into effect. Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM), Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) and Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQD) earning rates haven't been released yet.

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Why We Chose It

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  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.