Value alliance launches

THE global airline business model continued to evolve last month when eight Asian lowcost carriers banded together to offer their products on a single website. Members of the new Value Alliance include Scoot, Tigerair Singapore, Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Vanilla Air, Nok Air, Nokscoot and Tigerair Australia, with the site allowing customers to view, select and book fares and ancillaries from any of the carriers in a single transaction. The site is based on new technology developed by a company called Air Black Box, which has filed for NDC certification with IATA. The Value Alliance carriers collectively operate 176 aircraft across the Asia Pacific region, with the solution offering them stronger distribution in non-home markets, the expansion of networks via interline itineraries and a better one-stop shopping experience for customers. Meanwhile Jetstar, which notably isn’t part of the group, issued a statement touting its network which offers “the same product, level of service and flight experience across any of our airlines”.