This is the oldest & largest airline alliance
The development of the modern commercial aviation industry has resulted in the world becoming an increasingly connected place that, owing to the increased ease of travel across the globe, somehow feels a little bit smaller than before. A key reason for this has been the development of major airline alliances, with these groups seeing major carriers team up to provide integrated ticketing solutions. The main benefit of this, from a passenger perspective, is the fact that you can book multi-leg itineraries that, despite the flights being operated by different airlines, have protected connections, offering travelers convenience and peace of mind. Today, the airline industry is dominated by three alliances, with the oldest of these also being the largest. Let's take a closer look at its history and development. The first of these three to come into existence was the Star Alliance, which was founded in May 1997. The group came into existence through a collaboration between five airlines, all of whom, as Travel & Leisure notes, remained part of the team until recently. This was not the case at oneworld, with founding member Canadian Airlines having ceased operations shortly after that alliance was founded.The Star Alliance's founding members came from Asia, Europe, and North America, with the carriers in question being Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways, and United Airlines. As pictured above, one of the group's early branding campaigns featured a Lufthansa Airbus A340-200 painted in a livery combining all of their paint schemes, as well as Varig (who joined in October 1997). According to the Star Alliance website, the group was founded "as the first global aviation alliance, (...) dedicated to international travel innovation and providing customers a seamless journey." One of the company's reported ambitions at the time of its founding was to eventually build an alliance-wide network that would give aerial access to every major city on the planet for its passengers. Story has more.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-01-17/star/this-is-the-oldest-largest-airline-alliance
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This is the oldest & largest airline alliance
The development of the modern commercial aviation industry has resulted in the world becoming an increasingly connected place that, owing to the increased ease of travel across the globe, somehow feels a little bit smaller than before. A key reason for this has been the development of major airline alliances, with these groups seeing major carriers team up to provide integrated ticketing solutions. The main benefit of this, from a passenger perspective, is the fact that you can book multi-leg itineraries that, despite the flights being operated by different airlines, have protected connections, offering travelers convenience and peace of mind. Today, the airline industry is dominated by three alliances, with the oldest of these also being the largest. Let's take a closer look at its history and development. The first of these three to come into existence was the Star Alliance, which was founded in May 1997. The group came into existence through a collaboration between five airlines, all of whom, as Travel & Leisure notes, remained part of the team until recently. This was not the case at oneworld, with founding member Canadian Airlines having ceased operations shortly after that alliance was founded.The Star Alliance's founding members came from Asia, Europe, and North America, with the carriers in question being Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways, and United Airlines. As pictured above, one of the group's early branding campaigns featured a Lufthansa Airbus A340-200 painted in a livery combining all of their paint schemes, as well as Varig (who joined in October 1997). According to the Star Alliance website, the group was founded "as the first global aviation alliance, (...) dedicated to international travel innovation and providing customers a seamless journey." One of the company's reported ambitions at the time of its founding was to eventually build an alliance-wide network that would give aerial access to every major city on the planet for its passengers. Story has more.<br/>
