Star Alliance wants members in same terminal
Star Alliance will continue to push airport authorities to locate all its 28 member carriers in the same terminal for the convenience of travellers and to cut costs through the sharing of facilities, says its new chief.
The group, one of the world’s largest global airline alliances, is also digitising its operations to ease the handling of passengers.
Star Alliance’s newly appointed chief executive Jeffrey Goh said the airline network will focus more on creating the best travel experiences for customers in a bid to have sustainable growth in the future.
“We’re talking with many airport authorities where the host country of our airline members will be advised that the best practice is to have one terminal for every Star Alliance member to offer the best travel experience for passengers,” he said.
The “Move under One Roof” concept, introduced several years ago, will be pushed aggressively this year as it can cut costs by facility-sharing in one terminal.
The scheme is meant to be bolder to make sure passengers on Star Alliance member airlines have seamless journeys, Mr Goh said. Benefits would include faster flight connections, check-ins and baggage claims.
Star Alliance talked to Thai Airways International, the country’s national carrier, about the concept as Suvarnabhumi airport’s Terminal 2 is being expanded. It plans to talk with Airports of Thailand Plc later this year.
“We envision the most digitally advanced alliance with a seamless travel experience and the leading loyalty programme,” he said.
The global airline network has performed well in the past two decades in terms of network and services, said Mr Goh.
The alliance’s digitisation should enable a central platform that will be its key strategy to improve business operations.
Star Alliance also wants to offer more new digital products to attract more passengers and stay competitive with other airline alliances, he said.
Mr Goh said the network is still searching for second-tier airline members, such as low-cost carriers, to adapt to the challenges of price competition.
“The launch of the Connecting Partner Model in 2015 allows the alliance to create a new way for airlines with different business models to join us without becoming a member,” he said.
Star Alliance is set to expand its network reach and allow customers of its member carriers to fly to more destinations.
China-based Juneyao Airlines is the newest partner to use the alliance’s Connecting Partner Model, joining earlier this year.
Mr Goh said aviation in Asia will continue to have robust growth, with China and India expected to have the fastestgrowing markets. Vietnam and Indonesia are major emerging markets.