World’s Largest “Budget” Alliance Forms: Book Flights from 8 Low-Cost Carriers in One Go

▲ Eight budget carriers — Scoot, NokScoot, Nok Air, Tigerair Mandala, Tigerair Australia, Vanilla Air, Cebu Pacific, and Jeju Air — have jointly formed the Value Alliance. (Photo / Provided by Scoot)

By Chen Ruizhong / Staff Reporter

Eight low-cost airlines from the Asia-Pacific region today announced the launch of the world’s largest low-cost airline alliance,“Value Alliance,” with members including Scoot, NokScoot, Nok Air, Tigerair Mandala, Tigerair Australia, Vanilla Air, Cebu Pacific, and Jeju Air,together forming an extensive flight network spanning Asia and Australia.

With the establishment of the new alliance, travelers will be able to search, compare, and book the most competitive fares from each airline on a brand-new booking platform called Air Black Box (ABB), as well as freely customize their itineraries. ABB’s comprehensive booking services include seat selection, add-on meals, extra baggage allowances, and other in-flight services.Scoot stated that in the future, customers will be able to purchase tickets for all eight airlines on the new website, which is expected to officially go live by the end of this year.The alliance also plans to gradually introduce additional services such as through-checking of luggage.

▲ Eight budget carriers — Scoot, NokScoot, Nok Air, Tigerair Mandala, Tigerair Australia, Vanilla Air, Cebu Pacific, and Jeju Air — have jointly formed the Value Alliance. (Photo / Provided by Scoot)

The Value Alliance’s flight network will cover one-third of the world, including more than 160 destinations. The alliance’s dedicated ABB platform has received preliminary recognition under the NDC (New Distribution Capability) standard and is set to achieve full official certification within this year. Currently, Scoot, NokScoot, and Nok Air have pioneered the integration of flight and fare booking services via ABB, with other partner airlines expected to follow suit in the coming months.

Value Alliance anticipates that total visitor arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region will reach 5 billion before 2020. The alliance aims to connect more distinctive destinations, transforming lesser-known potential secondary cities into emerging travel hotspots.