In what is likely the most significant frequent flyer-related news to come out of the annual IATA World Air Transport Summit meetings this year, the oneworld alliance announced that they will be adding Malaysia Airlines to their fold in late 2012. Malaysia Airlines currently offers codeshare flights with future oneworld partners Royal Jordanian and Cathay Pacific; these partnerships will expand in the coming months leading up to the full membership in the alliance.
Malaysia has been the subject of alliance talks off and on over the years with most rumors touching on the SkyTeam alliance which has very weak coverage in the SE Asia region. There are many rumors about why that never happened but few official statements have been made. With this move to oneworld Malaysia now closes that chapter of its history and joins a group with a strong global presence. This also means that it will be even harder for SkyTeam to expand in the region as there aren’t many other carriers left there large enough to have a significant impact on an alliance’s footprint.
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Does this mean that Malaysia Air trips can be booked with BA miles, when the integration is complete?
Yes, MJL, once they are fully integrated into the alliance it will be possible to both earn and redeem for trips on Malaysian via your BAEC account.