Airline alliances allow carriers to share resources and expand routes while offering passengers a wider choice of destinations and flights, as well as the opportunity to earn and spend frequent-flyer miles on a greater number of airlines.

As a result, keeping up with developments in the space proves a great way to maximize the potential benefits of your membership, as new additions to a particular alliance might mean you can spend accrued points on a trip to a destination you’ve always wanted to visit. On the other hand, a vacation relying on a flight with an airline that leaves an alliance could become vastly more expensive if you were planning to buy the ticket using points.

Photo: © UNITED AIRLINES

Recently, several significant developments as well as an ongoing airline privatization will have implications for Star Alliance and SkyTeam, two of the big three alliances, alongside oneworld.

First, Hawaiian Airlines joined oneworld alliance on April 23, joining Alaska Airlines and American Airlines as the third U.S.-based airline on the roster and adding Honolulu as a new hub. This is also part of oneworld’s wider expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, with Philippine Airlines signing a Memorandum of Understanding to join in June. Expected to be fully integrated in 2027, the carrier will add 31 destinations to oneworld’s offerings, including a number of Philippine islands such as Boracay, Palawan and Tawi-Tawi. Philippine Airlines also will launch non-stop flights from its capital, Manila (MNL), to Chicago O’Hare in November 2026, adding to its existing U.S. gateways, Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), with plans to launch two additional destinations in the future.

On the other hand, Taiwanese airline STARLUX Airlines still has not been admitted as a oneworld member despite attempting to join, with founding member Cathay Pacific reportedly blocking its admission due to concerns over competition in the Taiwan market. Interestingly, Cathay Pacific didn’t block Philippine Airlines’ entry despite both airlines operating in similar geographies because they don’t compete for premium long-haul passengers as directly as do Cathay Pacific and STARLUX.

Over at Star Alliance, Italian national airline ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, became a full member in April, moving from SkyTeam. The move came after Lufthansa Group, a Star Alliance member, took over the airline in February 2025. As for outgoing members, Asiana Airlines will leave at the end of the year as part of its merger with Korean Air, part of SkyTeam. Asiana had been a member of Star Alliance since 2003, but Asiana miles will now be converted to Korean Air SKYPASS points. Several deadlines are approaching for frequent flyers, including Star Alliance’s confirmation that award bookings on Asiana flights for travel after Dec. 17, 2026, the official switchover date, will not be honored.

The process began in 2020 and has taken years to complete due to its sheer scale, with important implications for the balance between the three main airline alliances. As a result of the move, around 80 aircraft will move from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, along with approximately 14 million frequent flyers and 90 international routes. In addition, Star Alliance loses one of its primary hubs in Northeast Asia, with ANA the only remaining member serving the region. On the flip side, SkyTeam now possesses a monopoly on carriers in the hugely important Korean market. The move also comes after Scandinavian Airlines left Star Alliance for SkyTeam in September 2024 following investment from Air France–KLM.

PHOTO: © CRAIG RUSSELL
| DREAMSTIM

Another big move in the offing comes with the partial privatization of Portuguese national carrier TAP Air Portugal. After International Airlines Group withdrew from the race, Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM became the two remaining bidders for the airline, submitting bids for a 44.9 percent stake at the end of July. According to Portugal’s infrastructure minister, Miguel Pinto Luz, a decision was set for late August or early September, but, as of press time, a decision was not announced. Should Lufthansa win, TAP Air Portugal will likely remain part of Star Alliance. But if Air France-KLM prevails, TAP is expected to move to SkyTeam.

This would constitute a further weakening of Star Alliance following the losses of Scandinavian Airlines and Asiana Airlines, particularly as TAP Air Portugal’s Lisbon hub offers great connectivity at the crossroads of Europe, North America, South America and Africa. It has therefore been a key part of Star Alliance’s dominance in Europe, adding trans-Atlantic routes and links with Africa that complement the networks of stablemates Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. Lufthansa is offering to integrate TAP into an existing joint venture comprising United Airlines and Air Canada, while Air France-KLM plans something similar, with TAP Air Portugal to join Delta Air Lines in the group’s trans-Atlantic joint venture. Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines, endorsed the bid, which he said “would enhance trans-Atlantic travel options and Portugal’s role as an enhanced business and leisure destination.”

The deal has the potential to redraw the airline alliance map, with SkyTeam poised to knock Star Alliance from its long-held perch as the strongest in the field. Of course, Star Alliance could make some moves of its own to limit the negative effects of TAP’s possible departure, perhaps stepping up attempts to recruit nonaligned carriers in South America and Africa to minimize network losses in those regions.

PHOTO: © ROMAN TIRASPOLSKY | DREAMSTIME

Finally, an interesting development in the U.S. domestic market sees JetBlue and United Airlines deepening their Blue Sky Partnership. Launched in May 2025, the relationship continues to expand and functions much like an alliance without any of the necessary formalities, with eligible members able to “enjoy reciprocal loyalty perks and benefits when traveling across either airline’s networks” as of May, according to JetBlue. “With more ways to earn and redeem, more destinations to explore across both airline networks and, now, reciprocal benefits, Blue Sky delivers unmatched value for our most loyal customers,” said Ed Pouthier, vice president, Loyalty and Personalization, JetBlue, in a statement. “We’re elevating the travel experience by bringing seamless, meaningful perks to life across both airlines.”

This arrangement allows JetBlue to maintain its position as the largest unaligned U.S. carrier, while United will gain access to slots at JFK International Airport in New York City from 2027. Both airlines have consistently denied there are any plans for a merger, but they do appear to be deepening their integration beyond a standard codeshare arrangement. Whatever the endgame, it’s good news for frequent flyers on JetBlue and Star Alliance, of which United is a founding member.

All in all, for those who want to reap maximum rewards from the airline alliance system, it’s worth keeping an eye on a number of developments, with the TAP Air Portugal decision chief among them. Although trans-Atlantic connections remain a key part of the plans put forward by both bidders, a possible switch to SkyTeam would mark the latest step in the strengthening of the alliance at the expense of Star Alliance.