---
title: "What is Airline alliance? | Benefit Systems"
description: "An airline alliance is a grouping of carriers that credit each other's miles, recognise each other's status and allow award bookings across the group."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Airline alliance?

An airline alliance is a grouping of carriers that credit each other’s miles, recognise each other’s status and allow award bookings across the group.

Also called: Frequent flyer alliance.

## How it works #

An alliance mainly governs three things: earning miles on partner flights, recognition of benefits such as lounge access and baggage allowances, and the ability to book partner awards. It is not a single company: pricing, award charts and service standards remain each airline’s own and can differ substantially across the group.

## Not to be confused with #

An airline alliance is not the same as a joint venture: a joint venture is a much closer commercial partnership between a few carriers in specific markets.

## In German #

The German term is Luftfahrtallianz. [German version of this term](/de/glossar/luftfahrtallianz)

## Related terms #

- [Partner award](/en/glossary/partner-award): A partner award is a redemption in which one programme’s miles pay for a flight operated by a different airline.
- [Codeshare](/en/glossary/codeshare): A codeshare is a flight sold by one airline under its own flight number while a different airline actually operates it.
- [Joint venture](/en/glossary/joint-venture): A joint venture is a deeper partnership between a few airlines that share revenue on defined markets and plan their schedules together.

## Articles that use this term #

- [How do airline alliances work?](/en/knowledge/airline-alliances)
- [What does your status get you on partner airlines?](/en/knowledge/status-on-partners)
- [Why the best redemptions are on partner airlines](/en/knowledge/partner-awards)