This is fantastic news and makes me wonder if AS might be nudging closer to OW membership.

Over the past few years AS has been getting (too) cozy with Skyteam (DL, NW, KL, AF for EQM, plus CO) but the NW/DL merger plus CO's defection to Star may be signaling it's time for AS to enjoy some alliance benefits elsewhere.

Combined with MX (in the GlobEx for now, as a full OW member next year) the addition of AS opens tons of Mexican routes as well as west coast, Hawaii and Alaska ones. Great stuff.