Airline alliances and which miles book them
Most award flights are booked on a partner, not on the airline whose miles you hold. The three alliances decide which partners a program can reach, so knowing where each of the 22 programs we buy sits is the first step in judging what a balance can do.
Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .
Star Alliance
Founded 1997 · 26 members
Star Alliance is the largest and oldest of the three global alliances, founded in May 1997 by Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways and United, and now 26 airlines after ITA Airways joined on April 1, 2026. It has the deepest coverage of Europe (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Turkish, TAP, LOT, Aegean, ITA), Asia (ANA, Singapore Airlines, EVA, Thai, Air China) and the Americas (United, Air Canada, Avianca, Copa), which is why a Star Alliance balance can be redeemed almost anywhere.
Programs we buy: United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, ANA Mileage Club, Lufthansa Miles & More, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
oneworld
Founded 1999 · 16 members
oneworld was launched on February 1, 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and has grown to 16 airlines with Hawaiian Airlines' arrival on April 23, 2026. It is smaller than Star Alliance but has the strongest set of premium-cabin products for award travellers: Qatar Airways Qsuite, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines business class, and Qantas and British Airways first class, plus three US members in American, Alaska and Hawaiian.
Programs we buy: American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, JAL Mileage Bank, Qantas Frequent Flyer, British Airways Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club
SkyTeam
Founded 2000 · 18 members
SkyTeam was founded in June 2000 by Delta, Air France, Aeromexico and Korean Air and today has 18 active members, with Aeroflot suspended since 2022. Its strength is the North Atlantic, where Delta, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic run a joint venture, plus Korean Air, China Eastern, China Airlines and Vietnam Airlines across Asia and Saudia and Middle East Airlines in the Gulf and Levant.
Programs we buy: Delta SkyMiles, Korean Air SKYPASS, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Programs outside the alliances
JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Australia Velocity, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest belong to no alliance and rely on bilateral partnerships instead. Their miles still book a long list of partner airlines, listed on each program page.
Alliance FAQ
- What is an airline alliance?
- An alliance is a group of airlines that sell seats on each other's flights, recognise each other's elite status and let members redeem miles across the group. The three global alliances are Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam. Miles earned in any member program can book award seats on every other member, which is what makes a single balance useful worldwide.
- Can I use miles from one alliance to fly on another?
- Not through the alliance, but many airlines also have bilateral partnerships outside their alliance. Alaska Atmos Rewards books Singapore Airlines and Starlux, Virgin Atlantic books ANA, Qantas books Emirates, and Etihad Guest books American Airlines. The program pages list these non-alliance partners.
- Which alliance is best for award travel?
- It depends on where you fly. Star Alliance has the most members and the deepest coverage of Europe and Asia, oneworld has the strongest premium-cabin products on Asia and Middle East routes through Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, and SkyTeam is strongest across the Atlantic with Delta, Air France and KLM. The best program for booking each alliance is usually not the airline you fly but the partner with the lowest chart and fees.