SkyTeam - Skyteam Expansion

Does anybody have up-to-date information about when the following airlines will be officially joining Skyteam?

According to the Skyteam website, China Airlines' membership should "be completed by mid-2011", which would be about now.

China Eastern, along with Shanghai Airlines, "is already in the process of joining the alliance in 2011".

Having more Skyteam options for travel in Asia before the end of the year would be useful for my travel plans, but as far as I can see, neither the China nor the China Eastern sites even mention that they are about to join.

Aerolineas Argentinas, Garuda, Saudi Arabian and MEA are all announced for 2012. I'm guessing it's far too early to have any concrete dates, but again, if anyone has information, I'd be interested.

Finally, I'm a little surprised I couldn't find a thread on this subject, but a search of the ST forum for "Garuda" or "MEA" didn't turn up anything. So apologies if the question has been asked elsewhere, but here goes.

Not sure where you are looking but on the Future Members page - http://www.skyteam.com/about/carriers/futuremembers.html

China Eastern - effective entry date is 21 July 2011

China Airlines - effective entry date is 28 September 2011

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Not sure where you are looking but on the Future Members page - http://www.skyteam.com/about/carriers/futuremembers.html

China Eastern - effective entry date is 21 July 2011

China Airlines - effective entry date is 28 September 2011

Yup, that long way to go. CI, MU will expect to joins the Skyteam later in this summer/fall 2011.

Isn't supposed GA has already officially join the Skyteam? Never mind! I can see GA will entry Skyteam in 2012.

Thank you, everyone. I obviously wasn't looking in the right place!

Not sure where you are looking but on the Future Members page - http://www.skyteam.com/about/carriers/futuremembers.html

China Eastern - effective entry date is 21 July 2011

China Airlines - effective entry date is 28 September 2011

Surprised to see ST giving out specific dates in advance. Big change from the days in which they would try to surprise everyone after the airline joins the alliance.

one potential less

http://www.latribune.fr/actualites/20110605trib000626749/l-alliance-oneworld-arrache-l-adhesion-de-malaysia-airlines.html#[2]

Oh, well. There goes my hope of earning miles on jaunts to KL.

Merci, bebert.

I was with FM's Crane Club program before and had never signed up for Eastern Miles program. With the MU-FM merger, FM points automatically get transferred into the Eastern Miles program.

I just received in the mail today (sent out 6/5) my new Eastern Miles card, along with a welcome letter reiterating MU/FM's June 21 "official joining" in SkyTeam. I went online to see what's going on and all my old miles accumulated through FM were there, transferred as one lump sum.

It appears ST is on-schedule with the join dates... next on the list is CI @ Sept 28.

Mhmm about that 21st June. CSA published MU/FM in ST from 26 June 2011... well, anyway, it will happen this month.

Oh, well. There goes my hope of earning miles on jaunts to KL.

Merci, bebert.

You still can, if you travel via AMS and book KL's codeshare on MH.

You still can, if you travel via AMS and book KL's codeshare on MH.

And they will keep their codeshare agreement even with MH going with OW.

You still can, if you travel via AMS and book KL's codeshare on MH.

Thank you, but I was thinking more along the lines of weekend jaunts out of Bangkok, where I'll be again for a few months later this year. Hmmm, the food is supposed to be good in Taipei...

And they will keep their codeshare agreement even with MH going with OW.

Drats, no ST codeshares on BKK-KUL. Looks like my best foodie destinations on ST are Saigon, Hanoi, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul. Then cheapo flights to KUL, HKG or MFM, SIN, not to mention destinations in Thailand. More than enough to keep me busy.

You still can, if you travel via AMS and book KL's codeshare on MH.

You can't earn miles on DL with KLM's code share flights on MH metal, can you?

P.S. Sorry about the typo. I meant can't and not can.

You can earn miles on DL with KLM's code share flights on MH metal, can you?

yes but these are not level miles.

You can earn miles on DL with KLM's code share flights on MH metal, can you?
Not DL miles. SkyTeam-coded flights must be operated by SkyTeam members in order to earn SkyPesos. To earn DL miles on an MH flight, it needs to be MH-coded.

FYI, there is a long standing and very comprehensive thread on the issue. Why not follow the discussion there?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/skyteam/906548-who-would-next-skyteam-member.html

You can't earn miles on DL with KLM's code share flights on MH metal, can you?

P.S. Sorry about the typo. I meant can't and not can.


Actually you can. MH is a SkyMiles partner, just like IT. You won't earn MQM but you will earn SkyMiles.

Actually you can. MH is a SkyMiles partner, just like IT. You won't earn MQM but you will earn SkyMiles.
Wrong, wrong, wrong in terms of booking the KL-coded flight. From DL.dumb (http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/airline_partners.php): "Unless otherwise noted, mileage credit is applicable to SkyTeam-marketed flights operated by any SkyTeam member airline, but is not applicable to SkyTeam-marketed flights operated by any other airline." Since MH is not in ST, a KL-coded, MH-operated flight will earn nada.

However, if you can ticket it through KL with the MH code on the flight in question, you will earn RDM but not MQM as long as MH remains a SkyMiles partner.

So will we receive MQM on China airlines in September?
I need to keep my Sky team priority !!

So will we receive MQM on China airlines in September?
I need to keep my Sky team priority !!Everything points to "Yes".

China Eastern-Shanghai Airlines official entry date into ST was 6/21 and its flights are already showing as status earning (MQM) on Delta Airline Partners (http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/airline_partners.php) and Air France (Flying Blue). If everything follows convention and schedule is on time, CI should experience the same transition come September.

Delta.com says

Prior to travel effective June 1, 2011:
S, V – eligible for 100% base accrual
D, Y, U, G, A – ineligible class for accrual

No accrual for Y or A (Premium Economy)?

have fare buckets changed since June 1?

You can't earn miles on DL with KLM's code share flights on MH metal, can you?

P.S. Sorry about the typo. I meant can't and not can.

I don't believe that you can - but the other opinions offered above differ wildly!

Delta.com says
Prior to travel effective June 1, 2011:
S, V – eligible for 100% base accrual
D, Y, U, G, A – ineligible class for accrual

No accrual for Y or A (Premium Economy)?

have fare buckets changed since June 1?

Yep! AF and KL aligned their booking class.
From a DL point of view, before the alignement, S and V were excluded and D Y U G and A had not the same earning rate. Y was only 100% MQM.

It was discussed in the FB forum:
KLM/DELTA/Air France To align booking classes as per 2011
(http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/flying-blue-air-france-klm-other-partners/1163617-klm-delta-air-france-align-booking-classes-per-2011-a.html)

So will we receive MQM on China airlines in September?
I need to keep my Sky team priority !!

My source to says "yes". You can even earned the MQM & codeshare flight, too. You can check-in counter to get BP & checked bags, too.

Wrong, wrong, wrong in terms of booking the KL-coded flight. From DL.dumb (http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/airline_partners.php): "Unless otherwise noted, mileage credit is applicable to SkyTeam-marketed flights operated by any SkyTeam member airline, but is not applicable to SkyTeam-marketed flights operated by any other airline." Since MH is not in ST, a KL-coded, MH-operated flight will earn nada.

However, if you can ticket it through KL with the MH code on the flight in question, you will earn RDM but not MQM as long as MH remains a SkyMiles partner.


I just took MH 20 KUL-CDG and then on to PIT on a Delta ticket and got skymiles for all. However, the MH miles were less and no MQM's.

I just took MH 20 KUL-CDG and then on to PIT on a Delta ticket and got skymiles for all. However, the MH miles were less and no MQM's.
MH20 is just fine. However, if it were AF-coded but operated by MH, it would not be OK.

The rule is really simple: If the flight number belongs to a SkyTeam carrier and the airplane belongs to a SkyTeam carrier, you get miles based on the flight number you've got booked and the fare class. If the flight number belongs to a SkyTeam carrier and the airplane belongs to a non-SkyTeam carrier (SkyMiles partner or not), you don't get anything.