oneworld member elect Malaysia Airlines starts participating in Global Explorer today, adding one of the most attractive networks in south-east Asia to the round-the-world fare offered by all members of the alliance and selected other airlines.

For customers, the move represents a first step by Malaysia Airlines towards its implementation into oneworld, which is on track for later this year - when it will start participating in the full range of the alliance’s fares and offering all the alliance’s other services and benefits.

Meantime, from tomorrow, Malaysia Airlines’ full global schedule, covering 60 destinations in nearly 30 countries worldwide, will be covered by the Global Explorer round-the-world fare.

This will add almost 20 more cities in South East Asia and two more countries - Brunei and Myanmar - to the Global Explorer map, expanding the round-the-world fare’s global coverage to more than 900 destinations in some 150 countries.

oneworld member elect Kingfisher Airlines already participates in Global Explorer, ahead of its implementation to the alliance on February 10th, with fellow member elect airberlin’s network to be added when it boards oneworld later this spring. 

Both will start participating in the full range of the oneworld fares once they join the alliance.

Global Explorer also covers all routes offered by oneworld’s existing member airlines - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and Russia’s S7 plus some 20 affiliated carriers, including LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador, LAN Peru, China’s Dragonair and South Africa’s Comair.

Global Explorer includes too a number of airlines that have no links with oneworld - Aer Lingus, Air Pacific, Alaska Airlines and its Horizon Airlines sister, Gulf Air and Meridianafly. 

Flights carrying the Qantas code but operated by Air Tahiti Nui, Jetstar, South African Airways and Vietnam Airlines are included too, expanding the reach covered by the fare further still.

Destinations Malaysia Airlines adds to Global Explorer include Myanmar capital Yangon, Indonesia’s Medan, Cambodia’s Siem Rep and Malaysia’s Langkawi and Kuching.

oneworld is considered the World’s Leading Airline Alliance by the World Travel Awards.