STAR ALLIANCE IS NAMED THE WORLD'S BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE FOR 2009

	BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE
"the world's most respected and recognised Airline Awards"

With the last 12 months seeing each of the major airline alliances all adding new member airlines, the 2009 award for Best Airline Alliance was won by Star Alliance.

Edward Plaisted, Skytrax CEO commented that "this is another repeat win for Star Alliance. The focus of the Best Alliance survey is not so much about the actual member airlines within the alliance, but the way in which the Alliance operates its systems, mileage accrual and redemption, and the front-line reality as to whether the alliance is maintaining a reasonably seamless quality of standards across different member airlines. We often see customer complaints about the differentials in quality standards between airlines under a single alliance roof ... this is certainly an area where we believe the alliance managements have to direct some renewed effort, if the utility of alliance membership for the actual travellers is to deliver the expected levels of added-value".