what is airline alliance? what is staralliance?

Star Alliance was formed by a couple of airlines in 1997. It was formed for frequent flyers, which they could collect mileage when flying. Enough miles can be redempted for free upgrades and even free tickets. Literally, an Airline Alliance is a team that compormises of different airlines, forming together to offer mileage programmes to frequent flyers. Moreover, airlines in alliances exchange flights each other (codeshare).
What is codeshare flights:

FOR EXAMPLE ONLY:

If United Airlines(a Star Alliance member) wants to fly a route from Washington to Vienna, and US Airways(another Star Alliance member) operates that route, United could offer to codeshare with US Airways. United needs to sponsor half the operating cost of the flights, but in return United gets a four-digit flight number on this flight and could offer booking for passengers.

These practices are commonly seen and I'd belive you had experienced this for at least one time, and to distinguish this your e-ticket might say 'OPERATED BY B AIRLINES' although you have booked through A Airlines.

1)航空聯盟係1D航空公司組成既聯盟,現有的包括:星空聯盟(staralliance),寰宇一家(One world)同天合聯盟(Sky Team).

2)星空聯盟（Star Alliance），官方企業標語為星空聯盟，地球連結的方式（Star Alliance, the way the Earth connect）是一個正式成立於1997年5月14日的國際性航空聯盟，初期是由5家分屬不同國家的大型國際線航空公司結盟，藉由共用軟硬件資源與航線網等方式，強化聯盟各成員競爭力。今日的星空聯盟成員數已發展到18個之多，除了是迄今為止歷史最悠久、規模最大的航空公司聯盟外，它的成立也掀起20世紀末期一股航空聯盟熱潮，其他對手航空競相揪結伙伴成立聯盟團隊，例如寰宇一家（oneworld）與天合聯盟（SkyTeam），以期能與星空聯盟抗衡。

2007-11-24 22:54:19 補充：
1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_allianceAn airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate ......2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Alliance:Star Alliance is the oldest (it was launched on May 14, 1997), largest and most ......

www.staralliance.com

2007-11-24 23:41:32 補充：
www.staralliance.com has all the answers in English.