Editing Oneworld (section)

== Internal hostilities ==
The Oneworld alliance has been home to numerous conflicts between member airlines. 

As of 2024, all cases of tension between Oneworld airlines have involved [[Qatar Airways]] as one of the parties in the dispute.

=== Qatar Airways vs American Airlines (2017–2020) ===
Hostilities between American Airlines and Qatar Airways stemmed from allegations by American and other U.S. carriers that Qatar Airways, along with other Middle Eastern airlines, received excessive government [[Subsidy|subsidies]], creating unfair competition.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Benjamin |title=American Airlines CEO reveals why a small Italian airline is the focus of the nastiest feud in the airline industry |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-ceo-air-italy-qatar-airways-violate-openskies-2019-5 |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> 

These claims, part of a broader dispute known as the "Gulf Carrier Dispute", centered on accusations that subsidies allowed Qatar Airways to expand aggressively into U.S. markets, threatening domestic airlines.<ref name=":0" />

Tensions escalated in 2017 when American Airlines announced it would end its codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, citing these unfair practices. 

American Airlines criticised Qatar Airways' purchase of a 49% stake in [[Air Italy (2018–2020)|Air Italy]] and the subsequent commencement of Air Italy flights to the US, with then-American Airlines CEO [[Doug Parker]] labelling the Air Italy services as a "violation" and referred to Qatar Airways as<ref name=":0" /> "the greatest threat to commercial aviation and the United States." 

In 2018, Qatar Airways threatened to leave the Oneworld alliance citing the behaviour of American Airlines, along with separate issues with Qantas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian travelers hit by Qatar Airways threat to quit Oneworld |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Asian-travelers-hit-by-Qatar-Airways-threat-to-quit-Oneworld#:~:text=Qatar%20Airways,%20the%20fast-growing,Qantas%20of%20hostile%20business%20practices. |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The dispute was largely resolved in 2020 through diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Qatari governments. Qatar Airways agreed to increase transparency in its financial reporting and limit certain flight routes to the U.S. 

This agreement helped ease tensions, and the airlines have since improved relations, with American Airlines resuming codeshare agreements with Qatar Airways in 2020 to enhance their global network.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Ted |title=How American Airlines And Qatar Airways Swerved From Bitter Enemies To Best Friends |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2021/07/30/how-american-airlines-and-qatar-airways-swerved-from-bitter-enemies-to-best-friends/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> 

American Airlines began services to Qatar Airways' Doha hub in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlappig |first=Ben |date=2021-12-12 |title=Full Details: American Airlines Launching New York To Doha Flight |url=https://onemileatatime.com/news/american-airlines-doha-flight/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=One Mile at a Time |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Qatar Airways CEO comments on British Airways (2021) ===
<!-- Does this really belong in this article. Is this about Oneworld, or just one airline's CEO saying something uncomplimentary about another airline. ? -->
In 2021, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker called Oneworld member British Airways a "low cost carrier" that would score "two out of ten",<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Schlappig |first=Ben |date=2021-04-18 |title=Qatar Airways CEO Call British Airways "Two Out Of Ten" Low Cost Carrier |url=https://onemileatatime.com/qatar-airways-ceo-british-airways-low-cost-carrier/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=One Mile at a Time |language=en-US}}</ref> despite Qatar Airways owning 25% of British Airways' parent company, [[International Airlines Group]].<ref name=":2" />

Al Baker further stated that:<blockquote>"British Airways will never again be the world's favourite airline, because that title belongs to Qatar Airways" </blockquote>British Airways did not publicly respond to Qatar Airways' commentary.

=== Qatar Airways vs Qantas (2017–present) ===
In late 2012, before Qatar Airways joined the Oneworld alliance, Australian flag carrier and Oneworld founding member Qantas entered into a comprehensive [[joint venture]] with Qatar Airways' rivals [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]], and renewed it in 2017. 

In 2018, the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] government rejected an Australian expansion plan by Qatar Airways that was opposed by Qantas, who argued that the state-owned Qatari airline was dumping capacity and being "uncommercial and anti-competitive" by "selling tickets below cost-price, distorting markets and threatening the sustainable operation of international carriers to Australia"<ref name="SMH Qantas Qatar spat">{{Cite news |last=Hatch |first=Patrick |date=2018-11-18 |title=The Qantas and Qatar spat that could rupture the Oneworld alliance |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-qantas-and-qatar-spat-that-could-rupture-the-oneworld-alliance-20181115-p50g5p.html |access-date=2024-10-07 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |language=en-AU}}</ref>  

Qantas referenced research by a US airline lobby group that revealed that Qatar Airways had received over US$17 billion in state aid and interest free loans from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, as well as other support.<ref name="SMH Qantas Qatar spat" /> 

Qantas further stated that "we welcome healthy competition – however it must be fair." 

This commentary from Qantas and the government rejection infuriated Qatar Airways and its CEO [[Akbar Al Baker]], who publicly accused Qantas of failing to act "in the spirit" of the Oneworld alliance, and doubled down on this threat to leave the alliance after similar disputes with American Airlines.

==== COVID-19 pandemic ====
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in what was widely seen in aviation and business circles as a long-running publicity stunt intended to garner support from the Australian public as well as appeasement from Qatar Airways towards the Australian Government, Qatar Airways continually flew near-empty aircraft to and from Australia, under the banner of "bringing Australians home." 

Due to Australia's international border restrictions, which were amongst the strictest in the world, Qantas was unable to operate international flights as it was a commercial corporation rather than a sovereign state-backed entity like Qatar Airways, who could afford to run the routes at a deep loss and counterbalance this loss by accessing subsidies from Qatar's sovereign wealth fund. 

Despite this, Qatar Airways accumulated a large degree of support from the Australian public who were not aware of all the circumstances surrounding this issue, and Qatar Airways made another application to the Australian Government to double its flights to Australia in 2022 citing this support and their services to Australia during the pandemic.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker hits back at Qantas who stands against proposal to increase Australian flights |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/qatar-airways-ceo-akbar-al-baker-hits-back-at-qantas-who-stands-against-proposal-to-increase-australian-flights/news-story/788af33bfedcd53ec7dca6f477bd5148}}</ref>

==== Qatar Airways' attempts to depose Qantas from Oneworld ====
In 2022, Qatar Airways allegedly tried to have founding member Qantas kicked out of the Oneworld alliance. Qantas reportedly took the threat "seriously" by working to shore up support from other alliance members.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Matt |date=2024-12-15 |title=My Review of 'The Chairman's Lounge' by Joe Aston |url=https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/the-chairmans-lounge-joe-aston-book-review/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Australian Frequent Flyer |language=en-US}}</ref> 

==== Virgin Australia-Qatar Airways partnership ====
In late 2022, Qatar Airways also launched a comprehensive partnership with Qantas' main rival [[Virgin Australia]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Matt |date=2022-09-05 |title=Virgin Australia Launches Partnership with Qatar Airways |url=https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/virgin-australia-partner-with-qatar-airways/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Australian Frequent Flyer |language=en-US}}</ref> and significantly reduced and devalued Oneworld benefits available for [[Qantas Frequent Flyer]] members,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Matt |date=2023-02-20 |title=Qantas Flyers Lose Even More Qatar Airways Reward Seat Access |url=https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-flyers-lose-even-more-qatar-airways-reward-seat-access/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Australian Frequent Flyer |language=en-US}}</ref> further escalating tensions with Qantas. 

Qatar Airways also started to discourage its customers from using Qantas lounges, while Qantas in the most part refused to recognise Doha as a destination available to book flights to and from on its website.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-09 |title=Qantas website not recognising Doha as destination?? |url=https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/qantas-website-not-recognising-doha-as-destination.113110/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Australian Frequent Flyer |language=en-US}}</ref>

Starting from late 2022 after the Virgin Australia partnership was launched, Qantas vehemently opposed Qatar's application, with similar reasons to its 2018 argument, and made several representations to the Government.

Qantas stated that Qatar Airways will be "distorting" the Australian travel market through its access to Qatar's sovereign wealth fund as well as pointing out that Qatar Airways may potentially be evading Australian law by engaging in tactics such as exploiting international flight landing agreements into smaller Australian cities.<ref name=":1" /> 

Qantas also argued that Qatar Airways' additional flights would be severely detrimental to the Australian tourism industry as it would fly out more Australians who spend domestically than it would bring in people from overseas due to the "disproportionately high" number of Australian-based outbound passengers on Qatar Airways flights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qantas APH Submissions 2023 |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?usesession=true}}</ref> 

Al Baker, on a subsequent television interview, furiously insulted the Australian carrier for its commentary, criticising its absence in flying international flights during the pandemic, despite Qantas not being financially able to sustain international flights during this period.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-07 |title=Qatar Airways in public spat with Qantas over flights and ticket prices |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/qatar-airways-in-public-spat-with-qantas-over-flights-and-ticket-prices/384f7899-b6ce-47d3-a8b2-424504b09db6 |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=www.9news.com.au}}</ref> 

In July 2023, after successful lobbying from the Australian flag carrier, the Australian government, which switched to [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] in May 2022, rejected Qatar Airways' new request for additional flights into Australia's major ports, further inflaming Qatar Airways.<ref name=":3" /> 

In October 2024, Qatar Airways announced plans to purchase a 25% stake in Virgin Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-01 |title=Qatar Airways Group announces intention to acquire 25% minority stake in Virgin Australia |url=https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/release/qatar-airways-group-announces-intention-acquire-25-minority-stake-virgin-australia |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Virgin Australia Newsroom |language=en}}</ref>  a move widely seen as a workaround to the blocking of extra international flights from Doha<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2023-10-03 |title='Time wasting': Transport minister rebuffs request to front airlines inquiry |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-03/transport-minister-rebuffs-request-to-front-airlines-inquiry/102930208 |access-date=2024-10-24 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> and Qantas's role in that outcome. 

The investment was approved by Australia's [[Foreign Investment Review Board]] and Competition & Consumer Commission in February 2025 allowing the flights to commence as planned in June 2025 between the capital cities and Doha.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-02-27 |title=Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways Partnership Takes Off |url=https://www.qatarairways.com/press-releases/en-WW/247368-virgin-australia-and-qatar-airways-partnership-takes-off |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250304163325/https://www.qatarairways.com/press-releases/en-WW/247368-virgin-australia-and-qatar-airways-partnership-takes-off |archive-date=2025-03-04 |access-date=2025-03-05 |work=Qatar Airways newsroom |language=en}}</ref> The partnership will increase code-share and collaboration between Virgin Australia and Qatar, further undermining the relationship with Qantas and considerably escalate already tense hostilities between the two Oneworld carriers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barrett |first=Jonathan |date=2024-09-30 |title=Qatar Airways plan to buy 25% stake in Virgin Australia could boost competition with Qantas |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/01/qatar-airways-bid-buy-virgin-stake-australia |access-date=2024-10-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Qantas has stated that they welcome competition in Australian's aviation sector<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=James |date=2025-02-27 |title=Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson 'welcomes' competition from Qatar Airways-Virgin Australia deal after opposing capacity bid |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/business/markets/qantas-ceo-vanessa-hudson-welcomes-competition-from-qatar-airwaysvirgin-australia-deal-after-opposing-capacity-bid/news-story/37b31b558fae7d6ddeb1382192373b61 |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=SkyNews Australia}}</ref> but neither airline has commented how this latest change will impact their relationship and their interactions with the OneWorld Alliance.