You can get an Air China flight to São Paulo. Not codeshare. I think the route is Peking - Madrid - São PAulo. So there you go
you are validating my past assertion. No direct flight China to Brazil, if you want keep * as your alliance. Don't think it goes to Madrid, as it is a OW hub. This also represent once more the mess that * has become, thanks to the adherence to LH interests.
The reality is that Lan bought TAM, and therefore is controlled by it. Since Lan has a major role in OW when it comes to South America, it was more than clear that this was the path TAM would end up in (but actually, Latam C.E.O. said earlier in 2010 that TAM being in Star Alliance was for the best interest of the company, but it was not acceptable).
some suspect that TAM accession to * was in reality done to push LAN towards the acquisition, given that it happened few months after the entry in *. So it may well be that TAM recognized well in advance that getting in * was not in their best interest, otherwise they would have tried to get in bed with TAP or extend their relationship with US members of *. Cueto has said many things during these years, but he never strayed from the relationship he has with OW.
I think you have a point in what you said, but at the same time you are not considering the majority of people that use the airline, which are brazilian people. And this is the point. It may be better some people, but it will be bad for many many others.
the point is that * neglected developing SA market, and when LAN bought TAM they were more or less taken with pants down. Through the years LAN has built a strong network in the continent, well connected with US (through AA) and with Europe (through IB). Codeshares are in the work with the asian members of OW, and thats pretty much closes the case. TAM would have been blind had they choose to became LH water porter in the continent.
I am not a diehard fan of any alliance. The thing is that SA was and still is the best option for us. Being business or leisure. And if you talk about overcrowded and dysfunctional european hubs, that's because you've neve been in any major brazilian airport. And I still cannot see how great Heathrow (and Barajas) airport are when comparing with the others. If only Heathrow was Changi, Incheon or even Schipol... but cleary isn't.
If one day OW starts having more companies operating here (right now only AA, IB, BA, Lan) then I will start rooting for it. Right now.. no thanks.
i think you've never been too much in FRA, or even ZRH. FRA was once a good airport. Only the stubbornness of LH making it a hub for all * flights has made it a zoo. Same could be said for CDG, while the secondary airports such as AMS, ZRH and LIS are not well suited for connections (i talk by experience, having done my lot of transfers and connection through all of them). I agree partially in regard to LHR, since * is currently hosted in Terminal 1 and 2, but given they are gonna be torn down and rebuilt this should improve over time. Anyway he real gem of LHR is T5, that at the moment is the best airport terminal in Europe, and is where both BA and IB are based
So we are desperately hoping for Avianca to buy TAP so we manage to get SA again in Brazil.
in my opinion, having failed once to get their hands to TAP, Avianca have put themselves in a corner. Portuguese will treat another offer from them with suspicion, while giving time to more suitors to come. LH is definitely out of the situation, lest they want be caught in antitrust proceedings, that leaves ST and OW as possible suitors. I can see a lot of synergies for example between IB and TAP, but even QR or again LAN could consider an acquisition or share purchase. On ST side, bar AF/KL for the same reasons as LH, EY or perhaps DL may inject some capital. I do not see TAP remaining in * for long.
The point of this reply is to confute your assumption about * being the best option for Brazil. It was never and will become increasingly the worst option. ST is also ramping their options for SA and at the end they will become the second best option behind OW, once they secure GOL as a member. * was clearly in damage control mode after the Chilean court sentence, but now is clear they will never be able to mount a significant challenge to OW and ST. You will have to thank the incredible shortsightedness of LH for having never attempted to make * the best option for your travels.