Exclusive: Oneworld CEO Eyes An Alliance Without Exceptions
The pesky rules that keep frequent flyers out of some top-tier lounges are in the crosshairs of new Oneworld boss
Oneworld counts 15 member airlines under its umbrella – Hawaiian Airlines being the newest – but when it comes to lounge access, more than half of Oneworld’s carriers enforce exceptions to the rules.
These exclusions either shunt elite frequent flyers to a lower tier of lounge, or worse yet, leave them sitting out in the terminal even when travelling with Oneworld.
Some of the alliance’s most impactful exceptions come from Qatar Airways. At its Doha hub, the true business class (Al Mourjan) and first class (Al Safwa) lounges are off-limits to all Oneworld partner frequent flyers, unless travelling in the matching cabin class. In which case, there’s no benefit gained by status.
Instead, Qatar Airways directs Oneworld elites to distinct Gold and Platinum lounges in Doha. These lounges are generally smaller with reduced amenities, compared to the real business and first class lounges. That arguably goes against the spirit of Oneworld, as top-tier Emerald cardholders normally enjoy entry into the real first class lounges, and mid-tier Sapphire members into standard business class lounges.
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Qantas and SriLankan Airlines also operate under approved exceptions to the Oneworld rules.
New to the alliance and already implementing exceptions, Hawaiian Airlines’ network of Premier Club lounges across Hawaii are excluded from Oneworld agreements. This keeps Qantas Gold and Platinum members locked out when flying between the Hawaiian Islands – despite several of the same Premier Clubs gladly opening their doors to Priority Pass members.
Oneworld’s New CEO Wants Consistency & Simplicity
As of April 2026, Oneworld has a new Chief Executive Officer, Ole Orvér. It’s early days under his rein, but he’s keen to trim Oneworld’s long list of lounge exceptions, if the airlines will play ball.
“You have Qatar Airways with a few exceptions,” Orvér acknowledges during an interview with Flight Hacks. “You have other airlines with a few exceptions. But I think in general, if we can reduce the exceptions and make it more consistent, the customers will have an easier way of understanding our proposition. It's going to be easier to enjoy, and hopefully, also loyalty [to Oneworld] will increase.”
Raising Hawaiian Airlines’ Premier Club exception as the latest carve-out granted by the alliance, “in general, I like consistency,” Orvér continues. “Then you have all the exceptions. I tend to dislike those, because I know the customers dislike those.”
“I will try to make a more consistent offering, a more seamless offering, because to me, that's premium. If it's going to go all the way without exceptions, I don't know, but I would have a go at it, yes.”
The Grey Zone: Cathay Pacific & Qatar Airways
Cathay Pacific now requires that for lounge access via status, the traveller’s Oneworld membership must be attached to the booking before completing check-in, and can’t be added or presented at the lounge.
This prevents earning points and status in one Oneworld program, while relying on the benefits of the other – as has largely been possible for years. While impacting only a subset of travellers, the change makes it harder to build status in a new Oneworld frequent flyer program, if a passenger believes they’ve found a better fit.
When raised, Orvér advises, “I'll remain with the comment I made earlier,” hinting at his preference for consistency and seamlessness of travel. However, as to whether it reflects an alliance-wide shift, Orvér isn’t aware of a change in policy that would prevent the two-card dance that splits points and perks.
Separately, Qatar Airways recently altered the way that Privilege Club Avios can be redeemed. Only members of least 30 days tenure with an eligible paid flight credited to Privilege Club can spend Avios on others. Alternatively, earning Avios via a Qatar Airways co-branded credit card can qualify, although none exist in Australia.
Even those who meet Qatar’s new requirements can now only spend Avios on a small list of nominees, in a way that prevents adding a different Oneworld frequent flyer number to the reservation.
Presented with this, Orvér remarks, “what I can say is that the loyalty business has grown tremendously since 1999 when the alliance took off. So, I think we need to have another good look at how we do loyalty, because it's big, big business for many of the members.”
Exceptions Aside, What's Next For Oneworld?
With the likes of Hawaiian Airlines and Fiji Airways as members, Oneworld is broadening its base beyond traditional, business-oriented airlines. But might low-cost airlines also be a contender for membership?
“To me, it comes down to consistency,” Orvér says. “Low-cost airlines usually don't have product segmentation in the skies. That's okay if you only have one product … that product exists on most [of Oneworld’s] planes as well. But they don't have the other two cabins or three cabins that full service airlines have. I don't think it's a no-go, but consistency needs to be there on the technology side, [such as] through check-in. You never say never.”
Orvér cites India as a target for Oneworld’s next recruit, but highlights the alliance’s conundrum. “One of the bigger airlines is a member of a competing alliance [Air India in Star Alliance], and then you have a low-cost airline, which is the biggest airline in India [IndiGo].”
“India's a massive aviation market, right? It's just growing and growing.” With a sizeable Airbus A350 order book, IndiGo has big plans to fly long-haul, including to Australia. “IndiGo going long-haul is kind of, to me, obvious,” Orvér says, hinting at a trigger point that could make alliance membership more suitable.
“So, let's see where they're going to take that. If they're going to do a product segmentation in the skies, we'll see if they're going to do a segmentation on the ground product. We'll see.” Hint received.
Disclaimer
The writer travelled to Honolulu as a guest of Oneworld and Hawaiian Airlines, however this article is not sponsored.
