Originally Posted by
elitetraveler
Is there a reason EK couldn't just come into OW? At the end of the day losing BA/IB would leave a HUGE gap. The landscape might change a bit - maybe less North America- India/Middle East/Africa transit traffic via LHR which is constrained anyway, but with 787s/777s replacing 744s one would think BA would have little trouble maintaing its nonstop long haul network ex-LHR.
For India, CX and JL sells tickets. In fact, from the west coast, the distance to India is less by going across the Pacific. AA can easily decide to codeshare with these two airlines as well as allow miles to be redeemed. AA simply chooses to force everyone going to India to go across the Atlantic for awards.
Hopefully in addition AA will start its own metal flight to DXB and codeshare extensively to all the Indian destinations.
Originally Posted by
FWAAA
EK's stated business plan from the beginning has been for DXB to replace LHR as the worldwide connecting hub, so I can see how BA may not be all that warm and fuzzy toward EK. The other founding members of Oneworld were not attempting to put other founding members out of business.
If EK succeeds with its plan of airline domination once it has nearly 300 widebody jets, it will be the exception to the general rule that a huge hub requires huge O&D. And try as it might, Dubai will never be Vegas. Or Orlando. I don't see vast numbers of Americans flocking to Dubai so they can shop at dozens of malls. We already have dozens of malls. In 2011, American tourists to Dubai numbered about 1,267 per day, or about three widebody flights worth. Sure, Dubai will attract tens of millions of visitors from countries with inadequate shopping malls, until those countries build sufficient numbers of malls.
BA leave Oneworld? Doubt it. That would leave Finnair and Air Berlin to cover Europe. EK join Oneworld? Don't see what benefits EK would gain. Might as well play the field like AS does.
When I fly Emirates, I notice that 1/2 of the plane is connecting to India.