TAROM to become a SKYTEAM associate
May 7, 2008, 1:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 154
TAROM to become a SKYTEAM associate
More info here: http://http://www.skyteam.com/EN/abo...r/pr070508.jsp
Are they the addition to Skyteam referred to in another post?
Are they the addition to Skyteam referred to in another post?
May 7, 2008, 3:50 pm
#4
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Figure it'll take a while since they have their own FF program, unlike all the other Associate members who use the FF program of their sponsor...
May 7, 2008, 4:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
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Figure it'll take a while since they have their own FF program, unlike all the other Associate members who use the FF program of their sponsor...
May 7, 2008, 6:06 pm
#6
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Figure it'll take a while since they have their own FF program, unlike all the other Associate members who use the FF program of their sponsor...
I think the original plan had been for AZ to sponsor RO, but with the current situation this would obviously not be a solid long-term bet, and I can't see OK being interested in committing any resources to such a project after Malev turned against them and defected to OW, so AF decided to take it into their own hands.
I expect Smart Miles Super members (all five of them) will be thrilled to welcome FB and the resultant loss of their space-available upgrades!
Last edited by graraps; May 7, 2008 at 6:11 pm
May 8, 2008, 8:57 am
#9
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I wouldn't bet on an intra-Romania reward, but I've been wrong before. As for adding a host of new cities, it adds ~10 new cities in Romania but nothing else that I can see. All of their other destinations appear to be served by at least one other SkyTeam carrier, and often more than one. More options is always good, but this doesn't really open up a huge new chunk of the world to the alliance.
May 8, 2008, 10:00 am
#10
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Just what SkyTeam needed...another European Carrier. Does Belarus have a national carrier? The obscure mid-northeastern corner of the continent needs coverage.
May 8, 2008, 10:30 am
#11
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I wouldn't bet on an intra-Romania reward, but I've been wrong before. As for adding a host of new cities, it adds ~10 new cities in Romania but nothing else that I can see. All of their other destinations appear to be served by at least one other SkyTeam carrier, and often more than one. More options is always good, but this doesn't really open up a huge new chunk of the world to the alliance.
May 8, 2008, 10:59 am
#12
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While I agree that any new option is good (I said that above, too), this addition has very limited value except for destinations in Romania. I don't know that LON-DXB via BUH is going to be all that appealing considering the number of non-stops on the route and the number of existing one-stop SkyTeam options. Then again, I did briefly have OK seats booked for IST-LHR (via PRG, of course) for my trip later this summer. I only changed back to AF via CDG because I wanted to actually fly to BRS or SOU, both of which AF is able to do for me. So it is good, but not great. And certainly not on par with adding another S. American or SE Asian carrier, where the coverage - especially within the region - is much more limited.
May 8, 2008, 1:29 pm
#13
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However, that obscure corner of the continent will be covered by another soon-to-be-member, LAL Lithuanian Airlines.
May 8, 2008, 6:21 pm
#14
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I take it you haven't checked their business class prices on said route!! Could well be cheaper than EK economy!!
May 9, 2008, 7:30 am
#15
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While I agree that any new option is good (I said that above, too), this addition has very limited value except for destinations in Romania. I don't know that LON-DXB via BUH is going to be all that appealing considering the number of non-stops on the route and the number of existing one-stop SkyTeam options. Then again, I did briefly have OK seats booked for IST-LHR (via PRG, of course) for my trip later this summer. I only changed back to AF via CDG because I wanted to actually fly to BRS or SOU, both of which AF is able to do for me. So it is good, but not great. And certainly not on par with adding another S. American or SE Asian carrier, where the coverage - especially within the region - is much more limited.
Would I purchase such a tkt only if it was alot less then anything else that was available. Im looking more for ways to burn up my Miles before they burn up by themselves