Could once-niche Air Canada become the next member of the Oneworld alliance?
Porter Airlines appears to be considering the idea.
Over the past two years, the Toronto-based airline has partnered with Alaska Airlines and most recently American Airlines, two U.S.-based Oneworld airlines
These partnerships allow Atmos Rewards and American Airlines AAdvantage members to redeem points and miles on certain Porter flights.
Porter also has partnerships with a number of international Oneworld airlines, including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and new Oneworld member Fiji Airways.
It is also rapidly expanding its route map and fleet.
When asked this week whether the airline would consider venturing into a major global alliance, Porter executives sounded… at least interested.
“We are currently working on partnerships with a number of Oneworld airlines,” Porter Airlines President Kevin Jackson said at the Skift Aviation Forum in Texas on Dec. 3. “The obvious partner that could be used is Oneworld. Oneworld doesn’t have a presence in Canada and Porter would have a very obvious answer to that if we choose to join.”
According to Jackson, Canada’s flag carrier Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes United Airlines. This means Porter may choose one of the other two major global alliances – if it decides to join one of them.
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Jackson said the airline is still taking a wait-and-see approach regarding interest.
What Porter’s Oneworld membership means for U.S. travelers
If Porter decides to join Oneworld, it could mean greater opportunities for Atmos Rewards and American Airlines AAdvantage members to earn and redeem points and miles on Porter-operated flights, as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits for elite members.
It can also open up unique, new transfer itineraries for long-distance travel: imagine flying from the US to Toronto and then connecting on British Airways to London, all booked with Avios transferred from your American Express Membership Rewards account.
Still a long way from reaching an agreement
Regardless, this is still a long way off.
Joining an airline alliance is a long and complex process that requires the support of member airlines.
Porter remains a smaller airline compared to oneworld’s larger carriers, with a fleet not as large as regional jets but a network that is largely centered in North America.
At the same time, the airline offers extensive service in Canada, flying to popular destinations such as Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, and operates a fleet of state-of-the-art new Embraer 195-E2 jets.
U.S. routes are also on a rapid growth trajectory. Despite challenges with travel demand between the U.S. and Canada, Porter’s total seats to the U.S. are up nearly 24% from last year, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Coupled with the airline’s existing relationships with several of the most prominent Oneworld airlines, it will be interesting to see whether Porter becomes the next alliance member – perhaps following in the footsteps of recent additions Fiji Airways and Oman Air.
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