Originally Posted by
redtailshark
Often I have three genuine choices for my itins: NW, CO, DL. While we may complain about the lack of reciprocal UG with DL, and the 50% EQM on low fare classes with CO, these are minor pecadillos compared with, say: StarNet filtering of awards at UA, or over at OW, the utter lack of basic FFP benefit for AA/BA flyers on converse TATL itins.
Don't forget that a Gold or Plat will usually earn somewhere between 100% and 700% more miles for partner flights with ST, than you do in OW or *A, as you do not usually earn elite bonuses on partners in those alliances, and because partial credit fares are much more common (i.e. virtually all BA coach fares, and most intra-European SK fares earn 25% mileage). Even worse, in *A, is the maddening practice of having mileage accrual follow the operating carrier. Accordingly, when you book a codeshare, you have no idea how much your ticket will earn.
Originally Posted by
redtailshark
I wonder what happens especially to the NWKL JV, which is the bedrock of the alliance and, according to industry observers, an industry-leading contract.
Why would you wonder about this? ST has already announced their intention, which is to (basically) expand the JV to one that includes DL, NW, AZ, AF, KL, and OK for all TATL flights, as well as (I think) the flights to Tahiti. My understanding is that this has already received regulatory approval. And I certainly don't see DL abandoning this, since both OW and *A are trying to go down the same path.