Qatar Airways Privilege Club - Al Baker says "Star should invite us for membership"

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=68495247.blog

I guess you have to admire someone who does not beat about the bush

..."We would like to be part of an alliance, but at the same time we would like to protect our interests," Al Baker said, adding that he had concerns that the biggest members of such alliances often dictate favorable terms that come at the expense of smaller partners. ...

Pressed on whether that meant Qatar Airway would not soon be seeking alliance membership, Al Baker suggested that maybe it should work the other way around.

"Knowing that we are a large carrier, Star should invite us to join them," he said. "If they have interest in us and they invite us, then we shall see the pros and cons and then we will decide."

He's right. AAB seems to be playing hardball with Airbus and Boeing too - who can blame him. He has all the money, and like other Qatari business interests (eg telecoms) they see the current downturn as a chance to flex their economic power, go shopping etc, but on their terms.

*A should ask them as soon as possible. Qatar is way better than Emirates, and it's about time a Gulf carrier joined an alliance.

IMHO the CEO is way too arrogant.

Does *A really need a gulf carrier and if so is the Qatar really the right choice?

Gee, those 2 Silver/Gold lounges are going to get mighty packed if QR joins the *A. No way will the Premium Terminal to open to *G members! :p

I have a feeling the new permium terminal, the expanded version, might not be too bad...

but then, I've never been in here (I'm here now) at a particularly busy time. Might be a nightmare.

IMHO the CEO is way too arrogant.

Does *A really need a gulf carrier and if so is the Qatar really the right choice?

YEs, I think Star needs a carrier in the gulf area. And for sure Star needs it much more than other members invited in the last period.
Regarding the choice, I think QR is the natural choice: QR has already good relationship with various Star Carriers.

I agree that is one part of the world not well covered by the current *A so it makes sense to add a carrier like QR.

They should be asked to join asap - it took long enough for aegean to join - lets represent the world in a TRUE star alliance - at least I get united miles with Qatar

If you were a dominant *A airline with major world routes, would you be happy having QR join the alliance and drain some of your profitable business?

Probably not.

However, it would seem to be a logical move, if it yields a token Gulf carrier.

Alternatively, go crazy and get the smallest, least competitive airline, to minimise the threat to other *A members: GF!

I'd much prefer Etihad join, but that's just me, because it does direct routes not offered by other *A members. However that might be too much of a threat to SQ et al.

I would sooner expect to see a bovine-operated airline than SQ to accept Emirates into *A. :D

(It doesn't sound like much is going to happen on this front, on the current info. What are the odds? :))

If you were a dominant *A airline with major world routes, would you be happy having QR join the alliance and drain some of your profitable business?

Probably not.

However, it would seem to be a logical move, if it yields a token Gulf carrier.

Alternatively, go crazy and get the smallest, least competitive airline, to minimise the threat to other *A members: GF!



Agree!

And I remember an announcement from GF (2006? 2007?), that *A was auditing them for alliance membership. But it was a different GF then, still serving SYD/SIN, still having secondary hubs in AUH/MCT etc.

QR would be a decent choice but on the same token they need to get some basic customer service issues sorted and lose a bit of the attitude. If that CEO would have to deal with the cr*p that his airline puts some pax through he would understand why people don't agree with the self-elevated image he his portraying. Get your act together and perform continiously well not just in the air but also on the ground and then you may get a warmer reception.

However, looking at *A the taking in of MS and even the planned admission of AI I have to say that QR should make the hurdle easily.

YEs, I think Star needs a carrier in the gulf area. And for sure Star needs it much more than other members invited in the last period.
Regarding the choice, I think QR is the natural choice: QR has already good relationship with various Star Carriers.

I am not certain this is the case with UA and QR. On two different occasions, I have tried to book QR flights using UA miles (making the reservations through UA). In both cases, QR apparently accepted the bookings and then -- weeks later -- canceled them without notifying UA. I have spent lots of time on the phone with UA trying to sort these situations out. UA (senior folk, not "mere" res agents) say that QR is hopeless in this regard, that there's no one to talk to in the US about these matters, etc. On both occasions, UA redeposited the miles with an extra "bonus" slug of 10K miles for the hassle I went through.

This quote by the CEO is classic Qatar. For a country that is, in terms of per-capita GDP, one of the one or two richest in the world, Qatar has an oddly assertive thirst for international recognition. Even though this attitude is typical of the culture in the region, Qatar seems to be even more obsessive in looking for validation, generally in superficial ways, from the Western world.

Its recent investments in Porsche/Volkswagen, among other European assets, are really all about acquiring trophies as opposed to solidly-conceived business ventures. Just today in the newspaper, a front-page above-the-fold article (http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=August2009&file=Local_News2009081581032.xml) was about the government-run bus and taxi company lining up its 300 buses, driving at 20kph in a six-km-long train, in pursuit of a "bid to enter the Guinness World Records book" (although the article didn't say precisely what the terms of the world record are supposed to be). This comes a couple of months after they tried to enter the Guiness book by cooking up, in a Doha park, the largest bowl of pasta in recorded history. :rolleyes:

This is what happens, I suppose, when one has lots of money, an authoritarian economic and social system, a desire for recognition, and no other constraints. The airline would probably love to receive a public invitation by Star Alliance, then deliver a public rebuf. Unfortunately, management's business sense does not indicate to it that this is not the way that such business dealings typically work.

If you were a dominant *A airline with major world routes, would you be happy having QR join the alliance and drain some of your profitable business?

Probably not.

However, it would seem to be a logical move, if it yields a token Gulf carrier.

Alternatively, go crazy and get the smallest, least competitive airline, to minimise the threat to other *A members: GF!

I'd much prefer Etihad join, but that's just me, because it does direct routes not offered by other *A members. However that might be too much of a threat to SQ et al.


I agree on all counts, BiziBB. Of course it would be great for customers, but I really don't see the benefit to other Star carriers. QR is a great airline, and it seems that it has been quite successful in capturing long-haul traffic, e.g., Europe to southern or eastern Asia -- on a couple of recent flights NBO-DOH and ZRH-DOH, the flights were probably 90% connecting passengers -- so it seems that QR would just take traffic away from other alliance members and deliver little feed in return.

I like the idea of GF. It's less of a threat -- more of a "regional member" concept, in some ways, to feed traffic around the Gulf and Indian sub-continent -- and is really not such a bad airline as it's improved over the past few years. Plus the lounges in BAH are among the nicest anywhere.

Gee, those 2 Silver/Gold lounges are going to get mighty packed if QR joins the *A. No way will the Premium Terminal to open to *G members! :p

True. Even Qatar's own top-tier (Gold) members don't get to access the premium terminal when flying in economy class.

and it's about time a Gulf carrier joined an alliance.

Royal Jordanian, oneWorld?

Not on the Gulf, but it's the closest any of the three alliances have.

(Of course, if quality counts... RJ doesn't rate too well.)

Whats wrong with Qatar They outdo tired old euro carrriers like Swisswho have MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR customer service issues and troilley dolleys/maitre de cabines with attitude - I think one could say the farmer folk became rich from pilfering jewish money (but they still smell of the .... their parents farmed with no matter the cost of the aspirational clothing they wear - one need only walk down Bahnhofstrasse and laugh at the dressed up farmer folk - now thats a country which is DESPERATE for world acceptance let alone an airline) - The arabs just happen to be cleaner classier and a hell of a lot more cultured than your average Swiss -so they should of course be invited - Swiss should never have been allowed to join Star - 2 bankruptcies and the ceos walked away with millions - then bailed out by Lufthansa which is an airline to admire from the bottom to the top
From personal experiee and regular world travel I can only speak highly of airlines like Qatar,Lufthansa and Singapore^^^^^^

With CO running to *A, I need some way to keep MY status on two alliances... ;)

FWIW
DLM

With CO running to *A, I need some way to keep MY status on two alliances... ;)

FWIW
DLM

nah, let them make IAH an even bigger star hub!

Ciao,
FH