Originally Posted by
nd100
But what does "partnership" mean exactly?
Aren't BA and QF partners already by virtue of Oneworld? Don't they already have code shares? What other kind of partnership is there, short of a merger?
QF/EK is different since EK is not in an alliance and it's a bilateral partnership.
A joint venture, like BA have with AA (& others) for transatlantic is the next level up from alliance partners. In these JVs, (unlike in an alliance) the airlines split revenue, so there is no competition between the airlines in the JV. Others will be able to explain better, but that's a very basic overview.