How Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias fosters connection among his airlines

WHEN THEO PANAGIOTOULIAS stepped into the top job at Star Alliance in June 2023, the world's largest airline alliance wasn't short on reach. With 25 member airlines representing 24 countries across six continents, the alliance touches nearly 30 percent of global air travelers. What it needed, however, was something less tangible and far more elusive: harmony.

- STORY BY ENRIQUE PERRELLA

As aviation's original alliance, Star Alliance shaped the very model that competitors like Oneworld and SkyTeam would follow. Founded in 1997, it pioneered the concept of global airline partnerships. "My clear direction from the start," Panagiotoulias told Business Traveler on the sidelines of the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting in Delhi, "was to focus on the customer experience." And that, he insists, starts by understanding where it falls short.

Rather than launching broad-sweeping initiatives, Panagiotoulias and his team broke down the passenger journey into four areas: booking, airport, connection and loyalty. "We look for pain points along those parts of the journey and focus on them," he explains. "We've got the network right. Our primary focus is to make it as effortless and seamless as possible from a customer experience perspective."

This structured approach is now driving Star's strategy forward, helping to prioritize improvements where passengers notice them most.

Panagiotoulias brings a multifaceted background to the job. He has held senior roles at American Airlines, Sabre and Hawaiian Airlines—experiences he says gave him "the ability to look at the customer experience through a multicultural and diverse lens."

The Art of Diplomacy

Running a 25-member airline alliance requires more than leadership—it demands diplomacy. "With 25 member carriers, there's no right or wrong," Panagiotoulias says. "Different business plans, priorities and geographies mean carriers serve different communities. Strategies might appear to be in conflict, but it's really about relevance."

Cultural diversity is at the heart of the alliance's identity. From Singapore Airlines' refined luxury to Air New Zealand's Pacific-inspired service, each carrier brings its own personality. "That's a strength," he adds. "Our job is to make those differences feel unified when you're moving through the journey."