6 kinks in the Oneworld alliance

[thewinchester]

From Consumer Traveller, an insight into the problems of Airline alliances, and particularly Oneworld.

The article mainly address affecting North America/UK, but it seems to make some valid points.

6 current kinks in the Oneworld alliance
by JANICE HOUGH on JULY 23, 2010

The latest airline semi-merger announcement came this week from British Airways, Iberia Airlines and American Airlines. The email message to travel agents also says they received anti-trust immunity along with Finnair and Royal Jordanian.

Of course, this is pitched as “significantly strengthening the customer benefits” of the Oneworld Alliance.

From a travel agent perspective, these mergers do have some advantages for clients, especially when it comes to fare combinability. But like many airline innovations, alliances can create as many problems as they solve.

The airlines state that “some benefits will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010, while other benefits may take longer to implement due to greater complexity and our desire to ensure our customers continue to be well served…”

Translation, let’s see what happens when we start working out the kinks.

Here are six potential kinks that come to mind...

 

[serfty]

Ratherdisingenuous. Really, 6 "Points" are made, only one MAY be an issue!



1.

"As of today, although British Airways and American Airlines are Oneworld partners, passengers do NOT get reciprocal mileage credit on transatlantic flights. ... Now, perhaps with the new antitrust immunity this will change. But, I’ve heard that promise before."​

You've heard "what" before. Is was the non immunity to "antitrust" that caused this issue. Of course it will change!​

Strike!
2.

British Airways has four classes of service on their planes, the others, three. Which means fares in World Traveller Plus could be complicated, although presumably the airlines could figure out a way to combine them with coach fares on multi-airline itineraries.
....​

Huh! What's this got to do with the BA, IB AA "semi-merger" - the issue already exists and within one-world Qantas and JAL also have PE - nothing new here!​

Strike!

3,4 & 5 are simply rehashes of existing situations. Another three strikes.

The 6th relates to a possible integration of FF schemes, and, yes, there are significant differences.

 

[markis10]

I thought the 6 kinks would be JQ, 3K, JQi, VF, BL & BA lounge dragons