• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Star Alliance  >  Star Alliance Looks East To Singapore
Star Alliance

Star Alliance Looks East To Singapore

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 25, 2021March 25, 2021 11 Comments

Star Alliance will open a new office in Singapore later this year, a pivot away from its Frankfurt base which has been a source of both progress and frustration for two decades.

Star Alliance Looks Beyond Frankfurt

Star Alliance, founded in 1997 as the first global airline alliance, operates on behalf of 26 member airlines around the world. Its goal is to provide a seamless travel experience across carriers for passengers, and to work behind the scenes to encourage cohesion and collaboration amongst the diverse group of carriers that make up the Alliance.

Frankfurt was established as one of three regional “Business Centers” in 2000 (along with Los Angeles and Bangkok), with consolidation in Europe decided after the 9/11 aviation crisis. Frankfurt, the financial capital of the European Union, was selected based on an adjacency to founding member Lufthansa who was able to offer expanded office space at Frankfurt Airport, which was rapidly developing as the largest transfer hub for the Alliance and a natural location from which to grow membership.

But as Aviation Week noted:

“There has been increasing unhappiness among member airlines about what they perceive as the organization’s slow-footed approach when it comes to innovating and pursuing new projects. Germany’s tough labor laws have also been seen as a hindrance.”

Speaking as an insider who spent a year working for the company in Frankfurt, I’d call that characterization a bit unfair. Yes, some projects did move slowly. Like all global alliances, Star Alliance operates at direction of its member airlines. The projects I worked on were controlled not by Star Alliance staff, but by the airline stakeholders. One carrier could essentially filibuster (to borrow a term from U.S. parlance) a project that involved many carriers.

And, despite challenges, Star Alliance still maintains its global lead and has been voted by best airline alliance the past four years consecutively by Skytrax.

Why Star Alliance Ruled Out Returning to Los Angeles Or Moving to London

Late last year, the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB), comprised of the CEOs of the 26 member carriers, approved a relocation of Star Alliance HQ to “future-proof” the Alliance, with London an early favorite. Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh was tasked with reviewing that option, along with other suitable global cities where a member airline of the Alliance was based.

I understand that Los Angeles was carefully considered, as were Brussels, Zurich, and of course London. Over the next three months, various options were considered, with final consensus on a two-center approach – a brand-new location in Singapore, testament to its rapidly-developing Asian global innovation hub status and within the region with highest growth in aviation – and the maintenance of the existing Frankfurt center, though downscaled as the Singapore office grows.

New Star Alliance Singapore Office Will Focus on Innovation

Since 2017, Star Alliance’s strategy shifted away from one of network growth to one of digital innovation to improve the customer experience, and I outlined several projects Star Alliance launched in that sector, including:

  • Seamless partner seat assignments
  • Paperless, efficient crediting of miles
  • Baggage tracking within your chosen carrier app.
  • Online redemption for all 26 Star Alliance partners when using any Star Alliance loyalty program

Adoption across all 26 member airlines remains incomplete for some, though the loyalty projects are thankfully now seamless.  Over the last 12 months, Star Alliance has pivoted its focus to a post-pandemic world, embracing a new diplomatic role in order to foster the restoration of air travel between nations, and to instill confidence amongst travelers that Star Alliance carriers are taking a serious approach to health and hygiene safety. It also implemented new initiatives, such as digitizing its hub connection service to be hands-free and launching its biometrics service that is not only a touchless application, but whose facial recognition even works with masks.

As the world emerges from the pandemic, these sorts of customer innovations will take center stage once again in proving the value of alliances, and their continuing relevance in a world of joint ventures and non-alliance partnerships. And, with airlines having shrunk their fleets and international networks, the need for close alliance cooperation on connections and codeshare will take on new relevance.

CONCLUSION

Perhaps the easiest move would simply have to been to close up all offices and work remotely. Connecting Singapore to Frankfurt to Chicago to Lisbon to Addis Ababa is now as easy as pushing a button. But Star Alliance knows business does not work that way. The pandemic has been an exile and a return to face-to-face collaboration will be an essential ingredient in Star Alliance’s new home in the city state of Singapore.

For now, the Frankfurt office will remain open, with certain competencies shifting to Singapore and others remaining in Frankfurt. A location for the new office in Singapore is still under evaluation, as is the structure of the new organization. This is certainly a new chapter and a new beginning for Star Alliance as it enters its 25th anniversary year.

Previous Article United Airlines Adds Premium Economy To Hawaii
Next Article Delta Air Lines Ready To Reclaim In-Flight Service On Its Terms

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Star Alliance Loyalty Program

    Star Alliance Loyalty Program Offers Great Arbitrage Potential

    November 18, 2022
  • Etihad Star Alliance

    Will Etihad Join Star Alliance?

    October 17, 2022
  • Review: United Polaris Lounge Newark (EWR)

    October 10, 2022

11 Comments

  1. Andy K Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Big loss for Los Angeles – there is such terrible European connections from LAX and I’m sure that bringing the SA HQ there would have enticed member airlines to schedule regular flights there.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 25, 2021 at 1:24 pm

      I’m not sure that alone would have brought more service to LAX, but we had already seen tremendous Star growth at LAX prior to the pandemic.

  2. hlc Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    out of curiosity is star alliance technically a company, a not-for-profit a la NFL or something else? do they technically have their own employees or are members employees by member airlines?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 25, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      It is a GmbH, which is the German equivalent of an LLC in the USA. Star Alliance has its own employees but also uses secondees from its member airlines.

  3. Andy K Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Not to Europe. Oh.

  4. Christian Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    You’re certainly right that Singapore doesn’t have to worry about having anything like Germany’s tough labor laws.

    Why consider London? Wouldn’t an alliance hub make more sense?

  5. Paolo Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. This is an alliance in name only. It serves no useful purpose for consumers: not in information or earning /redemption. There is no point of contact, other than for media.
    It’s just another Dodo-like bloated bureaucracy , and a cost to members with no tangible benefit. It’s very European in that regard: perhaps the intention is to provide sinecures for favoured staff in the manner of so many of those ludicrous bodies headquartered in Brussels and Geneva ( …and a few in Singapore)
    They’re delusional if they believe there’ll be a net benefit from this money pit.

  6. emercycrite Reply
    March 25, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    A win for Singapore.

  7. Luis Seoane Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 12:20 pm

    I was reading your article from 2018 about Seamless partner seat assignments, and we are in 2021 and still facing the same problem.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      March 26, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      Yep. Progress is slow.

  8. Thomas Reply
    September 4, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    Everyone should not believe everything in this article or from someone who has no credible information about the current company and this insane (yes, there was no justification for it) move to Singapore.
    The truth is, the entire company will move (there will be no 2 „centers of excellence), with the same incompetent Management team. If it didn‘t work in Frankfurt, then it won‘t work in SIN. This was a move by the CEO to escape the so-called „tough German labor laws“, which he is too much of a coward to deal with. The laws are not that strict. That‘s all BS.
    So, whatever you read in the press about Star Alliance, it will usually be BS.
    By the way, it‘s not the alliance‘s business to get involved with Customer Experience..that‘s the job of airlines. We connect and enable them. And if anybody had a clue what we do in the background, they would change their tune.
    Signed: a REAL Star Alliance employee

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • United Airlines Crew Hold Times
    Flight Attendants At United Airlines Asked To Self-Report Poor Service Via “Marginal Service Reports” March 27, 2023
  • Waldo Delta LAX
    “Where’s Waldo?” Jumps Out Of Delta 737-800 At LAX, Scoots Down Exit Slide March 27, 2023
  • Hilton Frankfurt Airport Review
    Review: Hilton Frankfurt Airport March 27, 2023
  • Thai entry requirements
    Thailand Entry Requirements: Updated Website March 26, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Kayleigh Scott United Airlines
    The Tragic Death Of A United Airlines Flight Attendant March 21, 2023
  • United Airlines Domestic First Class Menu
    United Airlines Refreshes Domestic First Class Menu February 28, 2023
  • Southwest Airlines Wife Slap
    Enraged Husband Attacks Man On Southwest Airlines Flight After He Bumps Wife March 8, 2023
  • United Polaris Lounge LAX Review
    Review: United Airlines Polaris Lounge Los Angeles (LAX) March 24, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.