CPYVR

Looks like SAA has chosen *A for an alliance as per the Sunday Times

fromYYZ_flyer

Just like I said before... *A needs an African carrier be it RAM,SAA,Tunisair. Now they look like they will have SAA. Good choice. Maybe we will see them in YYZ? With the A346 I hope! :P

Braindrain

That's excellent news! That's a big hole in the *A in the past.

tcook052

So, I guess this means we can rule out AC doing the JNB route mentioned as a possability in a recent thread?

From the articles I've read, tourism to
S. Africa is booming and it may be timely that SAA enter *A to further capitalize on that trend.

makin'miles

I wonder if SAA will move their Atlanta service elsewhere? I would imagine that the DL partnership will be severed?

I can't see them leaving JFK, so service into IAD wouldn't make sense. I would guess that their equipment can't make it to ORD?

tcook052

The JNB-JFK SA route is equipped with an Airbus 343, with SA #203 making an onroute stop in DKR. This info from Airbus own website:"The A340-300 carries 295 passengers up to 13,700km/7,400nm." Which is why, I guess, the need for the on-route stop in DKR as JNB-JFK is approx. 7963 nautical miles. They could, therefore use the same equipment to do a hop from DKR-ORD, which is approx. 4545 nautical miles if they wanted to.

It''l be interesting to see how the pieces will all fit together if and when SA joins *A.

parnel

Hope it happens fast as I would book my next Xmas vacation there right away.I wonder what the timing will be or if AC will start pooled flts there pretty soon.

Ferrari

cool...I wonder if this will another route on RTW tickets to avoid Europe...

I guess we will all have to wait and see, but lets a expect some SARS will soon (South African RUNS)...

Doc Fraud

So does this mean that the * Alliance reward chart will be recast since it will now be possible to fly JFK-JNB direct?

DF

------------------
....airline economics: The only industry where the value of a perishable goes up as the best before date approaches....

makin'miles

I bet that awards will not be available for Christmas travel, parnel. Things seem to be very preliminary at this point, plus, its taken US airways a decent amount of time to get onboard.

FlyerAl

US Airways is expected to join Star Alliance in the summer. That's almost a year and a half after announcing their initial acceptance into the alliance.

Nuitari

It could still be codeshared.
Or done as a joint venture.

Sebring

As I understand it, when a new airline wishes to join Star Alliance, and possibly the other alliances, they are required to negotiate a code-share agreement with each member of the alliance. That codeshare agreement is meant to create a balance of benefits between the airlines and to maximize routings for Star airlines. Air Canada is on record as wanting online access to the South African market and I don't believe that a YYZ-JFK-JNB routing would even be a legal codesharing possibility. YYZ-MIA-JNB would be legal, as would a connection over Europe. Then again, this is a healthy market, probably underserved, and it wouldn't surprise me if this leads to a variety of code share routings and, before long, online services.

Shareholder

AC already has rights to fly to SAfrica, as does SAA to Canada. Neither carrier has felt there was sufficient demand to start these routes, particularly prior to the arrival of the long range A340s which could do the YYZ-JNB/CPT non-stop, or at least with a one-way refuelling stop off the African coast as SAA currently does on its JFK-JNB flights. AC could do it via LHR or FRA, but then the issue arises as to whether it could also sell seats to originating passengers in the UK and Germany. BA, Virgin and LH guard their carriage rights and are unlikely to welcome AC into the market, while SAA could not fly YYZ-LHR or YYZ-FRA without its own problems. The immediate likelihood is a codeshare with SAA's flights ex-LHR and FRA, though these are generally quite full year round. With SAA revamping its long range fleet with A340s, capacity could be increased, but under the bilateral treaties it has, BA and Virgin would also be able to increase their capacity. [And then there is the whole shift from bi-lateral to EU route treaties...]

People I have spoken with down here welcome the STAR announcement, though many say they will miss the DL connection SAA has had. Best thing for us will be access to SAA lounges as STARGolds.

As an aside, SUN AIR, a SAfrican all-frills carrier operating between Johannesburg's second airport and CPT folded for the second time yesterday afternoon. It operated the route several times a day using a pair of DC9s.

CPYVR

See Eye for Travel for more information.

Star Alliance(tm), the airline network for Earth, today welcomed South African Airways' decision to pursue membership in Star Alliance. (3/8/2004)