SkyTeam - SAA leaving SkyTeam Alliance?

Lufthansa is aggressively lobbying South African Airways to join the STAR Alliance. Delta reps fear that Lufthansa may be weakening SAA's commitment to the SkyTeam alliance. Does anyone have information as to which way SAA is leaning?

First, welcome to FlyerTalk!

SAA partners with a number of frequent flyer schemes but is not a member of SkyTeam.

I for one wish it would make up its mind and join an alliance, but it seems to be happy to play the field as a matter of policy.

Roger, you're right - SAA is not a member of SkyTeam, they are actually just a codeshare partner with Delta. What I meant to ask is whether anyone out there has information on whether SAA plans to terminate its codeshare with Delta and start up with Lufthansa (STAR).

They all ready code-share with LH on quite a few flights. Mileage accrual and redemption is also available for LH M&M members on SAA and vice versa.

Your question shows a distinct lack of knowledge of many factors at work here....

1) LH is aggressively trying to BUY a chunk of SAA. The south African government however is probably not selling.

2) SAA does not need to be in any alliance. They have no real competitor based within 2000 miles (or more) and due to this fact are able to codeshare and be part of the mileage programmes of almost any airline they wanted.

3) The last I looked, LH does not fly from South Africe to the United States, nor would they even in codeshare form if SAA were to one day joinn Star alliance. Could United as part of the alliance, well maybe, but then again remember that UA passed up SA rights not 1, not 2, but THREE times over the years on their own metal and codeshares.

4) SQ is a member of STAR, but still has a FF relationship with DL. AF has codeshares with airlines from both Star and Oneworld, etc. etc.