Airline alliances emerged in the 1990s as a way to connect rewards/miles between airlines. This can be good for frequent fliers who need to book a flight in a region they don't usually travel on, as they can retain their elite status on airlines around the world. This can be bad for people who don't fly as often, as the alliances can lead to reduced competition and price-fixing in the industry. The 3 airline alliances are, in order of size: - [[Star Alliance]] - [[SkyTeam]] - [[Oneworld]] ## Exceptions Most major airlines are a part of an alliance, but there are many exceptions. Just because an airlines isn't a part of an alliance doesn't mean that they don't partner with other airlines, who are then a part of an alliance. Major exceptions: - [[Emirates]] - Etihad - Virgin Australia Regional US exceptions: - [[Southwest Airlines]] - [[JetBlue]] - WestJet Regional European exceptions: - Ryanair - Also, [Ryanair does not have a frequent flyer program](https://simpleflying.com/ryanair-frequent-flyer-scheme-delay/) - EasyJet - Icelandair - They do partner with Alaska Airlines (part of [[Oneworld]]) and JetBlue (no alliance) Asian exceptions: - Air Asia Latam is not part of an alliance, but is a partner with Delta which is part of [[SkyTeam]]. ## Miscellaneous Partnerships - Frontier and Volaris --- https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-alliances/