The courtship of another Chinese carrier to enter the same global airline group as Cathay Pacific might pay off, as Oneworld acknowledged it could deepen its coverage in China, the alliance boss said. Rob Gurney, the CEO of oneworld, said it had yet to start formal talks with the mainland’s biggest airline China Southern, after the group’s biannual board meeting in New York last week. The alliance indicated it had spoken to the carrier but not since it announced its exit from the rival Skyteam alliance. “There are no formal discussions underway with China Southern,” Gurney said, despite the alliance’s obvious lack of presence in mainland China, the world’s second-biggest air travel market, unlike the rival Skyteam and Star Alliance groups. “There are still areas where we can potentially deepen our coverage, there is no doubt about that. We are talking to potential members to help meet some of that,” he said. This has meant its members have sought deals outside its core grouping, such as Qantas pairing with Skyteam’s China Eastern. But Gurney acknowledged that the alliance had been speaking to the mainland carrier. “We haven’t spoken to them [China Southern Airlines] since it has happened. And you know we have got a fantastic partner in Cathay Pacific, a Chinese airline, and they remain really important to us,” he said. Gurney name-checked the Hong Kong carrier, which stands to be most affected, highlighting the sensitivity of adding a mainland Chinese airline which could serve Oneworld better and provide its members with more access to domestic flights in China, even for Cathay fliers travelling within the country.<br/>
oneworld
American Airlines is adding 18 new routes next summer, including its first service to Glacier National Park in Montana. Most of the flights are from small- and medium-size cities to the airline's major hubs, operated by its partners using regional aircraft. In addition to the new routes, American is also adding a second daily summer flight to Paris and Madrid from its hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec. 17. Story has flight details.<br/>
Oneworld is braced for the exit of gulf carrier Qatar Airways, but the airline alliance has made a plea for the Gulf carrier to stay within the global airline grouping. Despite the fissures in the global pact, CEO of the alliance Rob Gurney said that the group was ploughing on with its biggest expansion of member airlines in several years. Qatar Airways remained a member of the airline club as of the conclusion of the biannual Oneworld board meeting in New York last week, having not yet carried out its threat to quit, according to multiple sources who were present. The Gulf airline confirmed this was the case, in spite of its CEO Akbar Al Baker skipping the gathering entirely. Gurney praised the Gulf carrier as a “terrific airline” but he made an impassioned plea for its member to stay. “We think the alliance adds a lot of value to them. They add a lot of value to the alliance. We don’t want them to leave, but at the end of the day, this has got to work for them; it has got to work for everybody,” he said. The Doha-based carrier previously gave a deadline of Christmas before it would make good on its promise to leave. Alliance insiders, however, expected formal notice to be given at the New York board meeting.<br/>