Interesting article .... but the last sentence had me rolling on the floor laughing .

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchin...nt_9694742.htm

Meanwhile, speculation is rife on which of the world's three airline alliances will win China Eastern's favor.

Currently the Shanghai-based carrier is the last of the nation's three major airlines without membership in any alliance.

Despite wavering for several years, China Eastern is now ready to make its final choice at the end of April, said Liu.

"We will tell you which airline alliance we will enter by the end of April," Liu told the press on Tuesday.

After an impressive tie-up with its former local rival Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern Airlines has made joining one of the three international airline networks - Star Alliance, Sky Team, or Oneworld - a priority.
.....Some analysts expected Liu to join the Sky Team, but Gao said it is better to choose another alliance due to competing relations between China Southern and China Eastern.

"Oneworld will be China Eastern's final choice, although it is smaller in size than the other two.

But it also has stellar members like American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines and Cathay Pacific," Gao noted.

Has Mr Gao perhaps been asleep for the last 9 years ?