Star Alliance drives brand benefits

Star Alliance is adopting a new approach as it seeks to grow local awareness of the benefits of flying with its network of airlines.

The alliance plans to “speak more directly” to local agents with its website to play a major role in that communication, Star Alliance country steering committee chair Tim Clyde-Smith explained to Travel Weekly.

In addition, the airline alliance is implementing a new plan to further strengthen its trade distribution channel, he revealed.

“We are now into the second phase of developing closer relationships with selected travel agency groups by giving them highly customised co-branded training websites geared up specifically to Australian travel agents,” he said.

Teaching agents about Star’s round the world product, regional products and the on-the-ground benefits of the continually evolving alliance through the online offerings is all part of the strategy.

The push comes as Star Alliance’s local network has been further strengthened by the return of All Nippon Airways (ANA) to the Sydney-Tokyo route last December. The launch of Singapore Airlines’ first international services to Canberra in September represents more good news for the alliance.

“That means we now have 11 members online operating into Australia so as an alliance we’re the biggest in Australian in terms of online services,” Clyde-Smith said.

In total, the alliance now has 23 of its 28 members represented here in Australia with 12 offline. When Singapore Airlines’ Canberra service commences, the alliance will fly out of 10 ports nationwide.

Clyde-Smith described it as a “phenomenal development”.

“I also think that dovetails with what Star Alliance is doing globally which is to focus on core network and the organic growth of the alliance,” he said.

With 50 hubs across the globe, the aim is to ensure travellers “don’t need to backtrack” and can continue their journeys in a “forwards direction”.

The launch of Air New Zealand services between Auckland and Buenos Aires in December last year also significantly bolstered the network, according to Clyde-Smith, giving travellers an appealing Southern Hemisphere-focused alternative to the traditional round the world fare.

“When we think about round the world, we generally think about Northern Hemisphere, but the introduction of that leg complements services provided by other alliance members such as SAA to Africa and then to keep on going to South America,” he said.

“We really want to try and see if we can inspire people to start looking at things in a different light.”

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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