summary
- Construction is underway on the Alliance’s first lounge in Seoul, South Korea, signaling a possible change to the Alliance’s previously suspended plans.
- The original plan for the first oneworld lounge was at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, but the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine derailed the plan.
- Many oneworld member airlines operate from Terminal 1, so this lounge will be a welcome addition to passengers.
Compared to Star Alliance and SkyTeam Alliance, the Oneworld Alliance still lags behind in having its own branded airport lounges around the world, but that could change as airline alliances finally cross the Rubicon There is a gender. Construction is currently underway on the alliance’s first lounge in Seoul, South Korea, and it is rumored that it will open in January next year.
Originally scheduled for Moscow
While this is undoubtedly exciting news for alliance airline members and passengers, it is worth noting that in December 2019, initial plans for the first alliance-wide lounge were announced to open at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. At the time, oneworld CEO Rob Gurney emphasized:
“In this important year, as we celebrate 20 years of partnership with a vibrant mission to provide our guests with the highest level of service and the most seamless travel experience, we are pleased to announce the arrival of our first oneworld brand in Moscow Domodedovo. We are excited to open the lounge. Moscow Domodedovo is our home base and we are excited to open the first oneworld branded lounge at the hub of our member S7 Airlines.”
Domodedovo Airport is home to more than 140 daily flights from the airport, with S7 serving more than 150 daily flights from airlines such as British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and Royal. It made sense for the oneworld alliance as they were dealing with flights. Jordanian. In the first 11 months of 2019, the airport and Oneworld Airlines served more than 12.6 million passengers, an increase of 5% compared to the same period last year.
Photo: Media Works | Shutterstock
Given the demand, the design for this anticipated new larger lounge is already in place, with an expected opening date and additional details to be revealed in 2020. However, these plans fell apart significantly and fairly quickly. Not only did the pandemic cause a pause, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine permanently invalidated those plans, especially since Russian airline S7 was subsequently suspended from the Oneworld alliance.
Plan to change route to Seoul
As geopolitical changes and the global aviation industry take time to recover from the effects of the pandemic, the oneworld Alliance began its search for a new home. After reviewing the previous list of airport candidates from 2019, the airline decided on Terminal 1 of Seoul’s Incheon International Airport. The new lounge will take over the location of the former Jeju Air lounge.
Located on the 4th floor of Terminal 1, near Gate 28, the Old Lounge is a unique design that encapsulates the elements of a cozy home, with a living room, dining room, kitchen and even a playroom for the children. Opened in early 2019 with a home concept. However, it was quickly and permanently closed in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Since then, the vast 550-square-meter space has remained untouched.
Previously, in a post shared on because it was Adding to the concerns, a spokesperson for the Oneworld Alliance, when asked for comment, insisted:
“The oneworld-branded lounge is in active development and we look forward to sharing more details, including its location, in the coming months.”
Although this statement is quite teasing, the fact that construction has already begun could suggest that Oneworld Lounge could open by the end of this year. If the alliance maintains its previous promise of providing world-class service in its lounges, the new project at Incheon Airport is expected to match the services offered by both SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
conclusion
Installing a Oneworld-branded lounge at Incheon Airport is very different from the Domodovo Airport project. No airline has a more dominant presence than the alliance airlines. However, with so many oneworld member airlines operating from Terminal 1, including American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, the lounge is definitely a welcome addition to passengers flying these airlines. It will be.
Photo: Finnair
With this addition in the works and likely to open by the end of this year, the oneworld alliance refocuses its earlier considerations on opening up to 10 alliance-wide lounges worldwide. You might be able to do that. But why these future locations are the way they are is all speculation, and it will take time to figure it out.
What do you think about the location of the first oneworld-branded lounge? Let us know in the comments section below.
sauce: executive traveler