Star Alliance is an airline alliance headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany.[5] Founded on 14 May 1997, it was the world's first global airline alliance.[1] Star Alliance has 26 member airlines, the most of any airline alliance, which operate a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, serving more than 1,300 airports in 195 countries on more than 19,000 daily departures.

As of April 2024, it is the world's largest airline alliance by market share, holding 17.4 percent compared to 13.7 percent for SkyTeam and 11.9 percent for Oneworld.[6]

The alliance has a two-tier rewards program, Silver and Gold, with incentives including priority boarding and upgrades. Like other airline alliances, Star Alliance airlines share airport terminals (known as co-locations), and many member aircraft are painted in the alliance's livery.

History

1997–1999: Founding and early years

The Star Alliance was announced on 14 May 1997 by five airlines from three continents: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines.[7][8][9] The group adopted a shared star-shaped logo, with each point representing a founding member. Its first slogan was “The Airline Network for Earth,” and it aimed to connect passengers to major cities worldwide.[7][8] Advertising efforts were managed by Young & Rubicam, with a budget of $25 million (€18 million).[10]

VARIG, a now-defunct Brazilian airline, joined the alliance on 22 October 1997, marking its expansion into South America.[7][11] Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand also joined, extending the network into Australia and the Pacific.[12][13] With these additions, the alliance served 720 destinations in 110 countries and operated a combined fleet of 1,650 aircraft. All Nippon Airways became the second Asian airline to join on 15 October 1999.[14][15]

2000s: Expansion and first decade

During the early 2000s, a number of airlines joined Star Alliance; the Austrian Airlines Group (Austrian Airlines, Tyrolean Airways and Lauda Air) joined on 26 March 2000[16][17] and Singapore Airlines on 1 April.[18] BMI and Mexicana joined on 1 July, bringing the alliance's membership to 13.[19] With Singapore Airlines' entry into the alliance, Thai Airways considered moving to Oneworld, but eventually decided to remain.[20] The addition of BMI made London Heathrow the only European hub with two alliances. During the year, Emirates considered joining Star Alliance, but decided against it.[21] That year the now-defunct BWIA West Indies Airways, which had entered an alliance with United Airlines, considered becoming a member but did not.[22] In 2000, the alliance also opened its first three business centres (in Los Angeles, Frankfurt and Bangkok) and announced the formation of an Alliance Management Team (AMT), the partnership's executive body.[23] In September 2001, Ansett Australia (the alliance's only Australian member) left Star Alliance due to bankruptcy, giving most of the Australian market to Qantas (a Oneworld member). That year, Star Alliance announced the appointment of a new CEO, Jaan Albrecht.[23]

Partner airlines promoted the Star Alliance brand with a 'Round the World' ticket (RWT) that offered choices of 19,000, 21,000, and 23,000 miles with stopovers in 15 cities, valid for one year.[24]

Asiana Airlines joined the alliance on 28 March 2003,[25] Spanair on 1 May 2003,[26] followed by LOT Polish Airlines (Poland's flag carrier) joining in October.[27] Around this time, Mexicana Airlines left the alliance after deciding not to renew a codeshare agreement with United Airlines, later joining Oneworld.[23] US Airways joined the alliance in May 2004,[28] becoming its second US-based airline. In November, Adria Airways, Blue1 and Croatia Airlines joined the alliance as its first three regional members.[29]

Although Star Alliance invited Lineas Aereas Azteca to join in 2005, the airline filed for bankruptcy in mid-2007. TAP Air Portugal joined on 14 March 2005, adding African destinations to the network.[30][31] In April 2006, Swiss International Air Lines, the alliance's sixth European airline, and South African Airways (its first African carrier) became the 17th and 18th members.[32]

By May 2007, Star Alliance's 10th anniversary, its members had a combined 16,000 daily departures to 855 destinations in 155 countries and served 406 million passengers annually. The alliance introduced Biosphere Connections, a partnership with UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to promote environmental sustainability.[33][34]

VARIG left the alliance on 31 January 2007,[36] and the two Chinese airlines, Air China and Shanghai Airlines, joined on 12 December.[37]

On 1 April 2008, Turkish Airlines joined the alliance after a 15-month integration process beginning in December 2006, becoming its 20th member.[38] EgyptAir, Egypt's national airline and Star Alliance's second African carrier, joined on 11 July 2008.[39]

On 27 October 2009, Continental Airlines became the 25th member of Star Alliance after leaving SkyTeam three days earlier. According to Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht, "Bringing Continental Airlines into Star Alliance has been a truly unique experience. This is the first time an airline has moved directly from one alliance to another, and I would like to thank all those involved in ensuring a smooth switch". At the time, it was rumoured that the switch was Continental's first move in a planned merger with United Airlines.[40] Eventually on 2 May 2010, United and Continental announced they would be merging under the United name; the merger was completed on 1 October 2010. On 26 December 2009, Brussels Airlines joined the alliance.[41]