IN BRIEF | 2018 could see China Southern exit the SkyTeam airline alliance and take a seat at the Oneworld table as the Chinese airline looks to reposition itself on the global stage. The new arrangement announced Wednesday will allow American’s AAdvantage and China Southern’s Sky Pearl Club members the ability to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights. Airline alliance Oneworld has squashed rumors that it was secretly courting China Southern to join.. On the agenda: operational resilience, mental health and employee wellness, leadership and elevating aviation safety to new heights Javascript … Instead, the alliance seems more interested in making China Southern a Oneworld Connect member, or a partner with limited benefits. Find out what SFO 2021 has in store to provide clarity on where we’ll be in three to five years. China Southern Sky Pearl Lounges. The Guangzhou-based airline is one of China's 'big three' three state-run carriers, alongside fellow SkyTeam member China Eastern (based in Shanghai) and flag carrier Air China, which belongs to Star Alliance. China Southern is the largest airline in China by passenger numbers. SkyMiles Members flying with China Southern will continue earning miles only on the following flights: For international flights operated by China Southern Airlines, only flights marketed by China Southern Airlines and China Airlines are applicable for lounge access. A number of Oneworld member airlines are lining up to do bilateral deals with China Southern, says Oneworld CEO Rob Gurney. * AAdvantage ® Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum customers can access China Southern’s Sky Pearl Lounges in 23 locations in China when on an eligible flight marketed and operated by American Airlines or China Southern. Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based carrier that’s a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, has the right to veto the entrance of a new member airline from the greater China … With the membership, China Southern Airlines' passengers will benefit from the mileage awards on any SkyTeam operated flight, access to 340 member lounges globally, around 8,000-odd … This news must come as a relief to airlines such as Cathay Pacific (A Oneworld member) who had little to gain and much to lose by China Southern’s (or potentially the opposite) proposed Oneworld entry. When on board flights mentioned above, Paragon and Emerald members can still invite one passenger, who is … Beginning on flights on or after January 1, 2020, SkyMiles Members will no longer earn miles on China Southern flights that are marketed 1 or operated 1 by SkyTeam partner airlines. For China Southern Airlines' codeshared flights departing from January 1st, 2020, only flights code-shared with China Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, and cross-strait flights code-shared with Mandarin Airlines are available for mileage accrual.