Royal Air Maroc has been revealed as the newest recruit of the Oneworld airline alliance. As the national carrier of Morocco, Royal Air Maroc’s network will open up many new possibilities for Qantas Frequent Flyer members travelling to Africa.
More airline members is great news for the Oneworld alliance. But don’t get too excited just yet – Royal Air Maroc will only become a full member of the Oneworld alliance in mid-2020. Until then, it’s business as usual.
When Royal Air Maroc does eventually join the Oneworld alliance, frequent flyers with Oneworld airlines including Qantas will be able to earn and redeem points with the airline. If you have status with Qantas, this also means you’ll enjoy benefits like lounge access when flying with Royal Air Maroc.
Who is Royal Air Maroc?
From its hub in Casablanca, Royal Air Maroc (IATA code: “AT”) operates many services to destinations across Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. The airline also has a range of long-haul destinations including New York, Washington DC, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro and the South American hub of Sao Paulo. Flights from Casablanca to Miami, an American Airlines hub, will also begin next year.
Royal Air Maroc operates a fleet of 55 aircraft including Boeing 737s and Boeing 787s. All aircraft feature both Economy and Business Class. The carrier’s regional subsidiary, Royal Air Maroc Express, flies ATR72 aircraft and will also join as an affiliate Oneworld alliance member.
There is currently excellent award availability on many Royal Air Maroc flights, which will be good news for Qantas Frequent Flyer members looking for more ways to redeem Qantas points in the future. You can already redeem Etihad Guest miles for Royal Air Maroc flights.
Filling Oneworld’s African void
Royal Air Maroc becomes the first Oneworld airline based in Africa, and fills an important gap in the alliance’s network. Oneworld does already have limited coverage in South Africa thanks to British Airways’ subsidiary, Comair. But Comair operates only a limited network of short-haul routes out of Johannesburg.
The introduction of Royal Air Maroc in Oneworld will add an extra 34 destinations across 21 countries to the Oneworld network.
Star Alliance already has several African-based members; South African Airways, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways is part of the SkyTeam alliance.
Fiji Airways is now a Oneworld Connect member
It was also announced this morning that Fiji Airways will start operating as a Oneworld Connect member from today. This means that, from today, eligible Oneworld frequent flyers with Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald status will have access to priority check-in and priority boarding when flying with Fiji Airways. Frequent flyers with Qantas, American Airlines, British Airways or Cathay Pacific status will also gain access to additional benefits on Fiji Airways, including lounge access, in the coming weeks.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Royal Air Maroc to join OneWorld
