Couldnt have said it better myself. EK doesnt need these alliances right now, and the negatives of partnerships would outweigh the positives. Right now, the current alliances help ek reach every part of the globe, but soon, when EK reaches those places itself, it will not longer need its current partners. The EK-UA partnership is extremeley useful mainly because it allows ff miles to be gained when travelling between NYC / other US cities and between Europe and the USA