Skyteam for DJ if they ever join an alliance!

[serfty]

But you don't earn NZ SC's with VA do you?

No - but (except for ATA) *G with NZ gives me most DJ Gold bennies when flying DJ, is much cheaper to earn than DJ Gold and is useful world wide.

 

[harvyk]

Remind me again why Virgin Atlantic, America and Australia dont start their own Virgin alliance? Dont they have a much more closely aligned hard and soft product than Delta or SQ? VA long haul can then hub into LHR and HKG to hook up with Virgin Atlantic.

All three airlines operate in very different market with very different end goals. AFAIK Virgin Atlantic is purely a long haul airline out of the UK, Virgin America is an LCC competing in the US Dom market against typically other LCC's, whilst Virgin Australia is attempting to be the second full service short and long haul incumbent in the AU market. They don't really have a lot of cross over potential to the point a formal alliance would be beneficial.

 

[rockplat]

I want them to join Star alliance

 

[MarkD]

I don't care if they do or don't join an alliance, just don't want current benefits enhanced

 

[browski]

I think people have misunderstood both JBs comments and his strategy.

Here is the key point of the article: "But joining an alliance is an expensive and often complex option involving significant work by the applicant."

It could be argued that with NO Australian member both Star Alliance and SkyTeam need VA more than VA needs them. So if that is indeed the case, then JB would like much of the entry cost removed. It is just a negotiating position since he is being courted by 2 suitors.

In addition, there is this lovely piece of positioning "And there are more and more bilaterals being concluded just like we've done between partners which don't restrict your ability to work with people." Interpreted, this means that even if we were to join Star Alliance, we would need an undertaking that we could still maintain Delta and Etihad as partners.

 

[oz_mark]

It could be argued that with NO Australian member both Star Alliance and SkyTeam need VA more than VA needs them. So if that is indeed the case, then JB would like much of the entry cost removed. It is just a negotiating position since he is being courted by 2 suitors.

Certainly, I interpreted this part of the article to suggest that Star may have been courting DJ:

Mr Borghetti was responding to comments by Star Alliance chief executive Mark Schwab that it was only a matter of time before he would look to the next stage of the airline's development and join a larger grouping.

 

[dajop]

I have not yet used my KLM ScaryTeam status, but it would still be better than this mish-mash of partnerships with confusing lounge rights, earn/burn rates etc.

Or would it? ScaryTeam has the most restrictive and confusing (aka luck of the draw) lounge arrangements out there. No international travel on Skyteam = no lounge access. In theory you need to be connecting to/from an international flight or on an international flight to get access to lounges. Of course this varies - outside Beijing/Shanghai I've accessed CZ lounges without international flights (but never in Beijing/Shanghai) and conversely when connecting from international to domestic at SGN travelling on VN was denied access as my international connection didn't matter (despite what the rules say). So it ain't as rosy as Star and Oneworld.

Also, as for your concern around earn/burn rates .... whilst burn rates within an individual FF program are the same across the alliance (except perhaps own carrier and a few exceptions, like QF who have different rates for AA/QF vs the rest), there is always variation and nuances around earn rates depending on airline and class flown. Earn rates are generally a mish/mash irrespective of whether carrier is in an alliance or not.

 

[dfcatch]

No - but (except for ATA) *G with NZ gives me most DJ Gold bennies when flying DJ, is much cheaper to earn than DJ Gold and is useful world wide.

Agreed - I'll be sad when my NZ *G drops to *S at the end of the month