<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by luftaom:
What about QF buying a stake in NZ followed by SQ buying BA's 22.3% stake in QF and QF jumping ships from OW to *?
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I can think of good reasons why this won't work. Consider you are SQ, and one of your main income streams is Australia->Asia/Europe. We know this is true to some extent because of SQ's continued interest in AN over the years mostly to feed SQ services and pull them away from QF.
In the suggested scenario, I doubt it is in SQ's interest to buy a stake in QF as it would be paying to draw traffic away from itself. QF won't leave oneworld because then the imbalance in the asia/southpac would swing way in favour of * (SQ, TG, NZ, UA, NH vs CX, BA/AA(minimal)).
I've heard some more on the matters that are afoot and it makes somewhat more sense than anything else.
Consider the above, SQ is desperate to recover that feed to/from SQ services and get back into the marketplace. Star Alliance overall also wants to get oz back on side.
Also consider the Administrators still have the AN International slots protected by the govt.
Also consider, SQ has spare a/c sitting around not going anywhere (not just the 2 ex-AN 744's but others).
QF is running rampant in domestic services, and Australian Airlines will cut into asia again, and take valuable pax away from SQ.
SQ can't hope to compete on domestic routes, not just because of government issues, but a 3rd airline would be crazy - even in a nice boomy economic environment which we don't have
right now. It's unlikely DJ will be any serious kind of feeder, despite recent discussions with NZ and SQ about a Star Alliance pax exchange system - DJ don't interline for one which is a pretty serious reason why it just wouldn't happen.
As has been suggested, SQ could buy up assets (including the slots of AN International) and start something as an as new concern, with lower costs and no entitlement burdens etc. SYD-HKG is something Star needs back, and needs back badly....
We'll see what happens I guess....
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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.
* * *
Ansett Australia: In memory of "One of the world's great airlines"
Feb 17, 1936 - March 4, 2002. R.I.P