Airline Alliances

Airline Alliances & Transfer Partners: How to Unlock the True Power of Your Points

Most people think their Avios are only for British Airways, or that Virgin Points can only be used on Virgin Atlantic flights. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The real magic happens when you understand airline alliances and transfer partners, because they let you fly almost anywhere in the world using the same points, often for fewer miles and less cash.

Let’s break it down.

What Are Airline Alliances?

Think of an alliance like a group of friends who help each other out.

British Airways doesn’t fly to every city in the world, but one of its partners might. Instead of launching new routes, airlines team up, sharing flights, lounges, and loyalty benefits.

There are three major global alliances:

• Oneworld Alliance, includes British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, and Finnair, etc.

• SkyTeam Alliance, includes Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Air France, Delta, Korean Air, and China Airlines, etc.

• Star Alliance, includes Lufthansa, TAP Air Portugal, United, ANA, and many others.

These alliances allow airlines to share routes and loyalty benefits, and for travellers like us, they unlock incredible value.

Full Breakdown of the Three Major Global Alliances (2025)

Each alliance is a network of airlines that cooperate to offer seamless global travel, shared routes, codeshares, lounge access, priority benefits, and points-earning across partners.

Oneworld Alliance

(Headquartered in New York, founded in 1999)
Key loyalty currencies: Avios (used by BA, Iberia, Qatar, Finnair, Aer Lingus)

Members:
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines.
Affiliate Partner: Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect partner).

SkyTeam Alliance

(Headquartered in Amsterdam, founded in 2000)
Key loyalty currencies: Flying Blue (Air France, KLM), Virgin Points, Delta SkyMiles

Members:
Aerolíneas Argentinas, AeroMexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, XiamenAir.

Star Alliance

(Headquartered in Frankfurt, founded in 1997, the largest alliance)
Key loyalty currencies: Miles & More (Lufthansa Group), United MileagePlus, TAP Miles&Go, ANA Mileage Club

Members:
Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, THAI Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines.

Why Alliances Matter for You

When airlines partner up, you can:

• Earn points with one airline and redeem them on another

• Access lounges, priority boarding, and extra baggage even when flying with a partner airline

• Find more award seats since you are pulling availability from multiple carriers

Your points are not tied to one airline, they open the door to an entire global network of possibilities.

The Power of Avios

Avios is one of the most flexible travel currencies in the world.

You can transfer Avios freely between British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways once your accounts are linked. That flexibility is rare, since most airline points are locked into a single programme.

Because of the Oneworld Alliance, you can also redeem Avios for flights on partners like American Airlines, Qantas, or Japan Airlines.

This gives you:

• More redemption options

• Different taxes and fees, depending on the partner

• Extra availability when BA seats are sold out

For example, if British Airways requires too many Avios for a route, Iberia or Qatar Airways might take you to the same destination for fewer points and lower fees.

Virgin Points and the SkyTeam Alliance

Since joining SkyTeam in 2023, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has become much more valuable.

You can now earn and redeem Virgin Points on airlines like KLM, Air France, Delta, Korean Air, and China Airlines.

Some routes are difficult to book online, but Virgin’s call centre is very helpful.

A smart strategy is to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic, then redeem through SkyTeam partners.
This gives you flexibility and access to incredible redemption deals.

Example: Virgin Atlantic doesn’t fly to Brazil, but through SkyTeam, you can use your Virgin Points to book Air France flights from London via Paris to São Paulo or Rio, simple and efficient.

Beyond Alliances: Transfer Partners

Many loyalty programmes allow direct transfers between partners, beyond alliances.

The best example is American Express Membership Rewards. You can earn Amex points and then transfer them to:

• Avios (BA, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar, Aer Lingus)

• Virgin Points

• Emirates Skywards

• Hilton Honors

• Marriott Bonvoy

• And more

This makes Amex Membership Rewards a universal travel currency, giving you the power to move your points where they have the most value for your next trip.

Final Thoughts

Understanding airline alliances and transfer partners is the key to unlocking the full potential of your points.

Your points are not limited to one airline, they give you freedom, flexibility, and global reach.

Once you start using this knowledge, you will never look at your points the same way again. You will start spotting new routes, hidden redemptions, and opportunities to travel better for less.

You are not just collecting points, you are collecting freedom.