Morphing global airline alliances: Is Air Berlin good for oneworld?

"Aer Lingus announced in May its intention to leave oneworld as its strategy has changed fundamentally since it joined the alliance six years ago and is no longer convergent with oneworld's. The alliance's key target market is the multi-sector, premium, frequent international traveller, and Aer Lingus has repositioned itself as a low fares point-to-point carrier" - oneworld Press Release, 29 September 2006. - Ah, the good old days of 2006, when alliances were composed of mature legacy carriers that offered all the traditional benefits and perks. Aer Lingus, in its remake for survival, decided to try a different operating model and was, like an unruly country club member, asked to leave.