airberlin joins oneworld alliance, but its full potential will not be immediately realised

The oneworld alliance on 20-Mar-2012 is welcoming airberlin as its 11th member, but the carrier's full potential will not be immediately realised.

airberlin's advantage is a continental European base, which oneworld lacks and barely had prior to the Feb-2012 collapse of Hungary's Malev. But the hub can only be utilised if oneworld carriers serve it, and so far they have been coy about adding services, preferring instead the country's - and one of the world's - leading financial centres, Frankfurt, much to the disappointment of airberlin.

From airberlin's accession, oneworld will gain market share, but not only are SkyTeam and Star Alliance expanding as well, they are adding members in key growth markets. airberlin this week brings 38 new destinations to oneworld's network, although they are primarily leisure points and not the corporate destinations that bolster airline yields. The airline has evolved, with additional costs, from a low-cost carrier to a hybrid one targeting the corporate sector, but has yet to see a yield uptick.