SkyTeam is an alliance of international airlines committed to making life a little bit easier for world travelers. Now, as Open Skies regulations are set to change, Sky Team and its 11 full-member airlines are increasing their presence at London Heathrow. Joining forces in Terminal 4, the SkyTeam airlines hope to ease connections, provide more flight options between the UK, Europe, Asia, and the States, and create a more unified travel experience for passengers. So, what does all of this mean for you? SkyTeam hopes it means you will look to their members when flying internationally, and I hope it means that added competition and greater options will reduce airfare prices. Keep reading for a breakdown of what SkyTeam has to offer and to learn more about other airline alliances that can affect the way you travel internationally…

With its 11 full members, SkyTeam is now the second largest alliance of its kind. Star Alliance is the largest with 19 full members, and Oneworld Alliance ranks third in size with 10 full members. The US-based members of SkyTeam are Delta, Northwest, and Continental. Along with carriers like Air France, KLM, China Southern, and AeroMexico, they’re able to provide more daily flights and more connections to destinations all over the world.

The SkyTeam Alliance currently serves 841 destinations in 162 countries. Travelers can choose from over 16,400 daily departures and make their way to over 400 lounges. All of this means that it’s getting easier (and maybe a little less stressful) to travel between countries, and with SkyTeam’s new Terminal 4 initiative, passengers should find connections at Heathrow to be easier and faster, as well, making it the perfect gateway destination for American business travelers. Sky Team is also offering more frequent flier mile opportunities, guaranteed reservations, more flights, more airfares, single check-in (for partner airlines), and much more.

Open Skies is going to make the international air travel market much more interesting. If SkyTeam and the other alliances can continue to expand, we as travelers should see more options. More options often means lower airfare, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Visit SkyTeam for a list of all of their members and services, and stay tuned for future posts on Star Alliance and Oneworld.