Originally Posted by
quemalo
LH would be my
#1 choice if they added someone else, BR would be
#2 . NZ would also be nice, but I don't know if Qantas would like that. IB, QR, and EI (in that order) would also be pretty handy, but if they add LH I could probably avoid flying any of them.
EI actually
might have a shot as IAG exerts more control and they drift away from UA, given that they serve LAX and SFO; depends on whether they go full OneWorld flagbearer and stick with AA for their domestic connections or keep using B6 for their east coast feed. IB only serves LAX--a much more substantial hub for AA than AS--seasonally, and QR might annoy EK, especially given the current political situation in the gulf. LH would certainly help SEA-Europe, but they're in a transatlantic JV with UA and AC.
Originally Posted by
MahiMahi524
Agree weak spot is Europe, but they did recently gain Condor. That may be the kind of partner (along with IcelandAir) they want (or are able) to get without joining a major alliance. They already have BA/KL/AF, which may be enough for the major airlines for them. Air Europa anyone?
A partner hubbed on the Iberian Peninsula would be nice, but the closest UX comes to the west coast is LAS (seasonally). FI and DE help substantially--and I really appreciate that their fare structures, unlike DL's, allow me to buy one-ways at reasonable prices when I'm putting together complex itineraries--but they're leisure airlines with more limited schedules with the alternative. Doing some research for a future RTW, the current DE schedule will allow me to do NAP-MUC-SEA on a Monday, but not the Sunday that'd be ideal.