Oneworld's New Chairman, Royal Air Maroc Lands at LAX & a Closing Avios Window
Avios Intelligence Editor · 2026-07-22
IAG's Luis Gallego takes over as Oneworld Chairman from 1 September, Royal Air Maroc becomes the alliance's 11th carrier at LAX, Philippine Airlines signs a new Rolls-Royce deal for its A350s, and the fully-bookable Avios-only fares to Tenerife are running out.
A New Oneworld Chair,
RAM Lands at LAX & a Closing Avios Window
Today's briefing: IAG's Luis Gallego takes the Oneworld chair from American's Robert Isom, Royal Air Maroc becomes the alliance's 11th carrier at LAX, Philippine Airlines doubles down on Rolls-Royce ahead of joining, and the fully-bookable Avios-only fares to Tenerife are running out.
🌐 Airline & Alliance News
Oneworld Gets a New Boss
Yesterday, the Oneworld Governing Board elected Luis Gallego — CEO of International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways and Iberia — as its new Chairman. He takes over from American Airlines CEO Robert Isom starting 1 September. It's a notable shift in leadership back to Europe as the alliance continues expanding its global footprint.
Royal Air Maroc Expands at LAX
Royal Air Maroc has officially launched its summer service between Casablanca and Los Angeles, making it the 11th Oneworld member to fly out of LAX. They're running the route three times a week on Boeing 787 Dreamliners. If you're looking for a creative routing to connect through to North Africa or the Middle East, this adds a genuinely useful new Oneworld option from the West Coast.
Philippine Airlines' Farnborough Follow-Up
Following yesterday's news of PAL's large Boeing 787 Dreamliner order, the carrier also announced a deal with Rolls-Royce at Farnborough to power nine additional Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. PAL is clearly building out its long-haul fleet ahead of formally joining the alliance.
💳 Avios & Loyalty Program Updates
No major new promos or terms overnight, but a reminder on the Avios-only flights flagged earlier this week (London to Tenerife and Reykjavik): availability is predictably starting to dry up, especially for the Tenerife route over the October half-term. If you were considering grabbing one of those fully-bookable cabins, today is likely your last real chance before the prime dates vanish.
✈️ Reward Flights & Availability
Avios Sweet Spot to LAX
Speaking of Los Angeles — we're currently seeing solid Avios availability for Economy (World Traveller) from London (LHR) to LAX starting at just 33,000 Avios plus taxes and fees, for dates this coming winter. A great baseline redemption if you want to lock in some West Coast sun.
Tracking the Qantas Drop
The last-minute Qantas availability to Hong Kong flagged earlier this week has largely been snapped up — but it's a good reminder of the pattern: Qantas consistently releases unsold premium cabins around the T-minus 2–3 day mark. If your schedule is genuinely flexible, keep this in your back pocket for future Asian or trans-Pacific travel.