Low fares leader Jetstar has announced a new fare agreement with members of leading global airline alliance oneworld®, allowing customers to include flights on the Australia-based airline in the popular oneworld fare products including itinerary combinations such as oneworld Explorer round-the-world and oneworld Circle Pacific, Circle Asia and South West Pacific and Circle Trip Explorer.

From 1 February 2011, Jetstar (JQ) operated flights sold under the Qantas codeshare will be saleable by oneworld carriers and travel agents globally as part of these oneworld itineraries. Qantas codeshares on virtually every Jetstar flight, so this arrangement covers almost the full schedule of Jetstar Australia and New Zealand operations.

The unique new fare agreement will initially apply to itineraries ticketed by oneworld carriers that have existing interline agreements with Jetstar, including Qantas, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines, LAN and Royal Jordanian. Plans are being developed to extend the arrangement to itineraries being ticketed by other oneworld member airlines.

Jetstar already participates in Global Explorer, the round-the-world fare offered by all oneworld partners with a number of other airlines that are not members of the alliance, and also in the alliance’s ‘Visit Australia and New Zealand pass’ - but today’s development is the first time that any carrier which is not part of oneworld is being added to the alliance’s own oneworld-branded mainstream fare packages.

Jetstar’s involvement will add five destinations, all in Australia, and 56 routes in Australasia – including a New Zealand domestic schedule – to these fares, taking the network covered by:

• oneworld Explorer to nearly 800 destinations in some 150 countries worldwide;
• oneworld Circle Pacific to around 450 destinations in some 30 countries in South West Pacific, Asia and North and South America; and
• oneworld Circle Asia and South Pacific to some 150 destinations in nearly 20 countries.

For lead-in prices for these and all other oneworld fares – or for an exact quote for your own bespoke oneworld Explorer trip - see oneworld.com

Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan said Jetstar continued to break new ground by introducing innovative product for its customers not traditionally offered by low cost carriers.

“The oneworld alliance brings together 12 of the world’s biggest and best airlines and jointly they and their 20 affiliate airlines fly to more than 750 destinations in almost 150 countries,” Mr Buchanan said.

“This unique new fare arrangement with the oneworld airline alliance will offer a whole new range of far-reaching itineraries to customers from all around the globe.

“Jetstar is now the largest low cost carrier based on revenue in Asia and this new offering will give customers enhanced opportunities to travel with us and at the same time provide us with further leadership in the value based market.

“Whilst Jetstar.com will remain our primary distribution channel, through strategic interline and alliance fare agreements such as this, we are tapping into new customer markets.”

For passengers travelling on these fares, Jetstar will provide baggage allowances comparable to other participating airlines, through check of baggage between all international flights, through check of passengers between Qantas (QF) and Jetstar (JQ) international flights and on select services, complimentary in-flight offerings such as meals and comfort packs.

Members of any oneworld airline frequent flyer programme can earn mileage rewards on eligible flights using these fares – including on sectors using Jetstar (see notes).

oneworld Vice-President Commercial Filip Lemmens said: “oneworld’s fares are alliance market leaders, and we offer a wider range than any of our competitors, giving consumers the best selection of multi-airline packages from which to choose, travelling all the way with best-in-class airlines from each region at great value prices and with great flexibility, while generating valuable additional revenue for participating airlines.

“The addition of Jetstar will make oneworld fares more attractive still, extending their reach to even more of Asia and the Pacific’s exciting destinations,” Mr Lemmens said.

Mr Buchanan made the announcement during an address to the Low Cost Airlines World Asia Pacific Conference in Singapore.

Jetstar’s growing distribution networks now total three codeshare partnerships and 21 interline partners.

Notes:

1 Members of oneworld airline frequent flyer programmes can earn mileage rewards on eligible Qantas-coded Jetstar flights using these fares once their frequent flyer programme host airline has implemented interline links with Jetstar. Currently, this applies to American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines, LAN, Qantas and Royal Jordanian.

2 For full details, terms and conditions of these fares, see oneworld.com