Star Alliance has been named the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the World Travel Awards for the third consecutive year.

It’s the second big gong for the alliance this year. At the North America 2022 edition of the awards held in August, the Star Alliance Los Angeles airport lounge also retained the award for North America’s Leading Airport Lounge for the third year running.

Star Alliance CEO, Jeffrey Goh, said: “We are extremely delighted to be receiving the World Travel Awards for the third consecutive year. This is particularly fitting as we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year.

“These awards are testimony to the great work that more than 400,000 employees across the Star Alliance network do each day in delivering safe and seamless travel, and also to all the customers who have continued to give us and our member carriers their confidence and support,” he said.

Now in its 29th edition, the World Travel Awards was established to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The annual awards are awarded based on a worldwide poll of qualified executives working within travel and tourism, and the consumer travel buyer.

In addition to these two awards won at the alliance level, a number of Star Alliance member carriers also came away as individual winners this year. Nine of them won awards in 21 categories, ranging from World’s Leading Airline – First Class, to Leading Airlines in Europe, Oceania, Asia and Mexico and Central America.

A WORLD FIRST CREDIT CARD FOR STAR ALLIANCE

HSBC Australia and Star Alliance have created a world first, launching the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card in Australia, providing customers with greater choice when earning and using their airline points.

Australian customers can earn Star Alliance Points on their everyday eligible credit card purchases that can be converted to miles/points in participating Star Alliance member carrier frequent flyer programs.

The card is the world’s first credit card created with an airline alliance and will be issued exclusively on Visa credit. It brings together seven launch Star Alliance carriers on a single credit card platform.

Goh said: “Star Alliance is delighted to launch this industry-first loyalty product together with HSBC and Visa. This is very much consistent with a key strategy of Star Alliance which is to offer a loyalty proposition that others talk about.

“This unique product is an outcome of strategic discussions with our member airlines for the Australian market.

“It will offer a new world of loyalty experience with not only the ability to earn points, but also a fast track to Star Alliance Gold Status through everyday spending.

“Star Alliance Gold Status offers a range of benefits such as lounge access and priority boarding across all Star Alliance member carriers.”

At the time of the launch, the participating member airlines and their respective frequent flyer programs are: Air Canada – Aeroplan, Air New Zealand – Airpoints, EVA Air – Infinity MileageLands, Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer, South African Airways – SAA Voyager, THAI – Royal Orchid Plus, and United – MileagePlus.

The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card provides Australian residents a fast track to Star Alliance Gold Status in the first year of their account, when they spend AUD$4,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days from card approval.

Star Alliance Gold Status gives customers access to over 1,000 airline lounges worldwide, priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, as well as excess baggage allowance on eligible fares and other privileges when travelling on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.