Why is Virgin not partners with other Etihad Partners?

[gazzax2]

Why are Virgin and Velocity not partners with the other Etihad Partners? Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Jet Airways?
Etihad own all of them and a large stake in Virgin Australia, it seems easy and logical to add them as virgin partners.

It would boost the number of ff partners virgin has. And surely there would be some Aussies travelling to India, Serbia and Seychelles, and their other destinations.

 

[CPMaverick]

Because there is a cost of adding partners. System integration, training, etc. Are these partners worth that hassle? Probably not. Etihad partners with these airlines because EY flies to their hubs or v.v. They don't fly to Australia and they don't have any ability to help feed VA's network. I know you could say the same for Alitalia, but that partnership never really made sense to me either.

Of those three, maybe Jet Airways would be possible, but the other two airlines are far too small to bother with.

 

[TheInsider]

As stated already, it would be cost over benefit (don't know what commercial benefit Air Serbia or Air Seychelles would be). Also the fact that there are so many other owners that VA have, they would have to please them all.

 

[dajop]

Interestingly Air Serbia passengers get benefits flying VA (as they use the Etihad Guest program) but not the other way round. Also confusingly the VA logo is (or used to be) displayed outside the Air Serbia lounge at BEG - presumably for travelling on EY.

 

[mannej]

Jet are already QFF partners are they not?

 

[williamsf1]

The whole EAP has been a flop ..... Air Berlin Gone ...... Alitalia ..... almost gone ....

The rest are not doing that great either.

James Hogan has gone along with the rest of the gang at EY.. they have bigger things to sort out ..

As for systems, I think they have all migrated to Sabre, but this is also a flop

Don't forget SQ are also a big owner of VA and they would have a say.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Jet are already QFF partners are they not?

Yep