Methodology · alliances

IVCA v2.5

The ranking of the three great alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, oneworld) compares what each one actually offers. The core idea: set the alliance’s benefits against the awards it has won. This page explains how it is calculated. edition.

The principle: benefits against awards

An alliance is worth what you get by being part of it (the quality of its airlines and the reach of its network) and the recognition it has earned. We separate the two and give each its weight.

Benefits

The quality of the member airlines (using our own airline ranking) and the network reach (number of members, destinations and countries). It is what you actually get when you fly with the alliance.

Recognition

The international World’s Best Alliance recognition, voted for by millions of passengers in an international survey. It is used as an input to the calculation (history of titles and the current winner); its listing is not republished and its organiser is not named.

The indicators and their weight

IndicatorWhat it measures and howSourceNormalisationWeight

Quality of its airlines
our ownAverage IVCA of the member airlines we already rankOur own · our airline rankingAlready 0-10035%

Network reach
our ownNumber of member airlines, destinations and countries servedOfficial alliance figures (cited)Scale by size (members/destinations/countries)30%

Awards
externalInternational «World’s Best Alliance» titles (history + current winner)Globally awarded recognition (input)Floor + titles won35%

The Benefits score combines quality (35%) and reach (30%); Awards weigh 35%. So an alliance does not win merely for being large, nor merely for its trophies.

The calculation, step by step

Quality of the airlines

We take the member airlines of each alliance that we already rank and average their IVCA. It is our own, transparent figure: the quality of the alliance is that of its members.

Network reach

We normalise the number of members, destinations and countries the alliance serves, and combine them into a reach score.

Awards

The international recognition is converted into a score according to the «Best Alliance» titles won, with a floor: all three are great global alliances.

Final score and ordering

We combine the three with their weight (benefits 65% · awards 35%) and order the three alliances. Each comes with its breakdown and an explanation of why it ended up where it did.

Sources and fair use

The index combines our own airline ranking and reach data with the public recognition of the industry’s surveys.

Vuelopedia is an independent, non-profit encyclopedia. The third-party award is used only as one ingredient of the calculation; we do not reproduce its tables and do not use its logos. Member quality is calculated from our own airline ranking, which is auditable.

Coverage and limits

Only the three global ones Star Alliance, SkyTeam and oneworld are compared. Bilateral agreements and smaller alliances are not included.

Quality = our members The quality score uses the member airlines we already rank; it inherits the data coverage of that ranking.

Reach: annual figures The number of members, destinations and countries changes as airlines join and leave; it is updated each edition.

Award: a single survey Recognition rests on a single international alliance award; other perception signals may be added in future.

See the alliance ranking Airline methodology

No assessment of this kind is entirely objective. IVCA results should be read as a methodological approximation for identifying the best performance of airlines, airports, alliances and frequent-flyer programmes, not as an absolute or unchangeable truth. They are also a snapshot in time: the index is recalculated every quarter and changes with events and with the data available.

An independent Vuelopedia index. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Star Alliance, SkyTeam, oneworld or any organiser of awards or surveys; their names are cited for reference only and third-party recognitions are used only as an input.