oneworld, one of the world's premier airline alliance, has launched a Japanese version of its online booking tool making it easier for Japanese speakers to plan and pay for round-the-world trips using oneworld Explorer fare.
As per the release, oneworld was the first in the travel industry to sell any multi-airline round-the-world fare through the Internet when it launched its original online booking facility for oneworld Explorer. It was also the first time any of the global airline groupings had sold any of their alliance fares direct via the web.
The addition of Japanese language facility follows Japan Airlines' reaffirmation of its oneworld membership earlier this year and last month's co-location of all the alliance's online airlines at Tokyo Narita Airport and the opening of Tokyo Haneda Airport to scheduled international flights, with oneworld offering a wider international network than any other alliance and the biggest domestic operation there.
With a Spanish version already added, oneworld now offers the online booking facility in three languages. Since the original English version of the online booking tool was launched, it has proven even more popular than anticipated, taking substantially more bookings than expected.
oneworld Explorer is one of the world's most popular multi-airline round-the-world ticket, enabling passengers to travel around the globe using the flights of any of oneworld's member airline, who together, including the alliance's members elect, serve about 900 destinations in approaching 150 countries.
The system has a number of special features to make it as simple as possible for customers to plan oneworld Explorer round-the-world trips. As they build their itinerary - by clicking on destinations displayed on the alliance's interactive map - the system automatically checks availability and displays only flights that have seats available for each route and date selected. It also validates that the itinerary meets all the fare's rules and conditions - and then provides an instant price for the trip.
Once customers have finalised their itinerary - which can be of up to 16 sectors - they can pay online using a credit card and print out all the details. The e-tickets for the entire trip are then sent to the customer by email. Unlike other round-the-world fares, oneworld Explorer's price is based on the number of continents visited (three to six), not the mileage flown, making planning and pricing journeys simple and flexible. It covers flights worldwide by all oneworld member and affiliate airlines.
oneworld Explorer can be booked for travel in Economy, Premium Economy (where available), Business or even First Class, and earn frequent flyer programme mileage awards and tier status points. Prices from Japan start at JPY335, 000, excluding taxes, fees and charges.
In the meanwhile, S7 Airlines became part of oneworld, adding Russia’s leading domestic carrier to the world’s premier global airline alliance. Its subsidiary Globus joined at the same time, as an affiliate member of oneworld.
S7 and Globus between them serve 90 destinations and 28 countries. They add 55 destinations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States to the oneworld schedule, and nine countries, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This has almost tripled the number of destinations served by oneworld in Russia, the CIS and other parts of East Europe to a total 84 destinations in 26 countries.
It expands oneworld’s global coverage to a total of more than 750 destinations in almost 150 countries, served by 8,500 departures a day operated by a combined fleet of some 2,250 aircraft, carrying 300 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of more than US$85 billion. When oneworld member designates airberlin, Europe’s fifth largest airline, and Kingfisher Airlines, India’s leading carrier, join in the coming 18 months, that will grow further to some 900 destinations, served by 9,500 daily departures operated by 14 airlines and 20 affiliates, carrying 340 million passengers a year on a combined fleet of 2,500 aircraft, generating annual revenues of US$90 billion.