Oneworld CEO Confirms More Lounges, Answers Questions About Adding More Members

From the opening of airport lounges to new member airlines, there’s been a lot for Oneworld to celebrate in the last couple of years.

During an online roundtable to discuss Oman Air joining the alliance on June 30, Nat Pieper, Oneworld CEO, answered media questions about the future of the alliance.

Here’s what we found out.

More Oneworld Lounges Are in the Pipeline

Airport lounges are a hugely important part of the travel experience for passengers with elite status or premium cabin tickets.

Oneworld recognizes this and last year opened 2 lounges at important hub city airports where no single Oneworld airline has a base: Amsterdam (AMS) and Seoul (ICN).

Alliance lounges don’t always work. An example is the shuttering of the SkyTeam Lounge at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4.

In the case of Oneworld, it appears the opposite is true. According to Pieper, who’s been in charge of the alliance since February 2024, the lounges are a roaring success with both guests and the airlines alike.

“Each of the member airlines has been incredibly pleased with the quality of service and the feedback that they’re getting from their passengers,” he said. “We’re on to something here.”

Pieper confirmed that Oneworld hopes to have up to 10 airport lounges open within the next five years. When asked for a more specific timeline and details on the next location, Pieper said, “It could be any time within the next 6 to 12 months. We’re working it hard.”

India is a great example of a country where many of the Oneworld member airlines fly without there being a single dominating carrier. However, Pieper explained that India prefers to have airport-operated lounges that passengers from all airlines can use. This would rule India out as a possible future location for a Oneworld lounge.

No New Airlines Will Join the Alliance Anytime Soon

Oman Air joined the Oneworld Alliance on June 30, just a couple of months after Fiji Airways became the 14th member on April 1.

“Bringing Oman Air into the Oneworld fold gives us 95% coverage of global demand,” said Pieper.

However, even with this extensive global coverage from 15 airlines, including the Pacific Islands, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, India and China were identified as 2 large gaps during the roundtable

When asked whether we might see an Indian or Chinese airline joining the alliance, Pieper confirmed that while the alliance is always exploring the possibility of new members. However, this isn’t something we expect in the near future.

“Our primary focus is for our existing 15 members to work more closely with each other, deepening their existing partnerships. Let’s see if we can cover gaps in demand through cooperation with existing members,” he said.

That said, Hawaiian Airlines recently merged with Alaska Airlines. Once that’s complete, Hawaiian will get de facto status as a Oneworld member airline. More details on how that will look should come soon.

Final Thoughts

With its swish new lounges and extensive global coverage, it’s no surprise that Oneworld is often cited by travelers as their favorite of the 3 major alliances.

We’re excited to see what the future holds, plus what ideas and projects Pieper and his team with come up with next. While we don’t have specifics, we should expect more Oneworld lounges in the near future.