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Airline alliances: Ten great airlines not part of the major alliances

By David Whitley

July 15, 2016 — 11.19am

Most airlines fall into one of three major alliances – One World, Star Alliance or Skyteam. This allows airlines to perform smooth baggage transfers, book on each other's flights and give passengers the option of earning frequent flyer points on partner-operated flights. But some key airlines have resisted the big three alliances – including these that Australians might find themselves on.

Virgin Australia

For Australians, the most prominent airline outside the big three alliances is Virgin Australia. It doesn't stand entirely alone though, and works with a number of airlines elsewhere on codeshare flights to enable easier connections. These include Etihad, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines. And, if you're a member of Virgin Australia's Velocity Club, points for flights earned on these airlines can be piled into the pot. See virginaustralia.com.

Virgin Atlantic

Richard Branson's original airline no longer flies to Australia, but it still has some mighty useful routes connecting the US, Caribbean, South Africa, Hong Kong and Dubai to London. An increasing number of trans-Atlantic flights are being offered to Manchester and Glasgow, for those who want to avoid Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic has partnerships with similar airlines to Virgin Australia – with Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia the best bets for putting any earned frequent flyer points into. See virgin-atlantic.com.

Hawaiian Airlines

While obviously useful for connecting Australia to Hawaii and internal Hawaiian domestic flights, Hawaiian Airlines is a great bet for twin base holidays using Honolulu as a break in the journey. Dodging LAX by going straight from Honolulu to the likes of Portland, Las Vegas and San Diego is mighty useful – and points earned from flights can be filtered into a Virgin Australia Velocity Club account. See hawaiianairlines.com.

Emirates

Now one of the global big boys, Emirates flies from the five big Australian cities to its hub in Dubai, then onwards to dozens of useful airports in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It has also teamed up with Qantas, so that many Emirates flights are Qantas codeshares, and frequent flyer points can be deposited into either airline's scheme. See emirates.com.

See also: Flight test - Emirates economy

Etihad

Etihad flies from Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to its base in Abu Dhabi, then on to a slightly different set of destinations in Europe, Africa et al. It has a slightly looser arrangement with Virgin Australia along the Emirates/ Qantas lines – meaning you can earn Virgin Australia Velocity Points on Etihad flights. But the Etihad Guest scheme is worth a look for regular travellers to the other side of the world, as points from flights with several airlines can be deposited in there. These include Air New Zealand, Malaysia Airlines, American Airlines and Garuda Indonesia. See Etihad.com.

Easyjet

Europe's least obnoxious budget airline flies to 32 countries, and has over 700 routes – including to perhaps unexpected destinations such as Essaioura in Morocco, Tel Aviv in Israel and Inverness in Scotland.

Unusually for a budget airline, it has a loose and little-known tie-up with one of the big boys. Emirates Skywards points can be used to book Easyjet flights – which can be extremely useful during peak summer season when cash prices ramp up. See easyjet.com.

EasyJet crew sport fashion-forward uniforms.Credit: EasyJet

See also: Flight test - Easyjet economy

Bangkok Airways

In a region containing more than its fair share of dubious carriers, Bangkok Airways maintains relatively high standards in South East Asia. Using Bangkok as a base, it flies to several airports across Thailand, plus key spots in Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia. China, India, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are also linked up, making the airline very handy when putting together multiple stop Asian itineraries. It codeshares with Etihad, Qantas and Emirates, meaning points can accrue towads any of these airlines' schemes. See bangkokair.com.