N830MH

https://simpleflying.com/etihad-air-...lyer-benefits/

No real surprised! I wonder if DL and Etihad will ever enter a similar partnership? I think this could potentially be another step towards joining SkyTeam for EY.

Let the speculation begin!

DrMilano

Anything is possible as I believe the peak anti ME3 resentment was during Richard Anderson's regime, but DL gave Qatar gate issues in ATL when the Doha route 1st launched under the current regime. I highly doubt anything from DL who’s current business model is investing in distressed airlines (Virgin Atlantic and LATAM) and buys lots of used airplanes on the cheap. Delta would require a JV agreement.

erik123

Hope elite reciprocity happens soon as I have a December flight.

EBiafore99

I think they will. IMO, the anti-ME3 sentiment was really a "Richard Anderson" thing more than a Delta thing. I expect to see a partnership soon.

ATOBTTR

What would the Skymiles redemption rate for the Etihad Apartment be? 15 million miles?

Not that I find myself traveling to that part of the world often but adding one of the ME3 to the SkyTeam network would be a welcome addition.

DrMilano

Qatar would have to re-train a majority of Delta’s flight attendants how to provide a legitimate “premium experience”. European airline FA customer service standards are significantly aligned to a ME3 airline, thus why AF/KL makes sense as AF has the la premiere cabin, whereas Delta has the 763 D1 cabin.

audidudi

Qatar is already in OneWorld, so there’s no chance that they’d switch to SkyTeam. EY is Etihad Airways if that’s what you meant.

atldiamond

Why would Qatar/Etihad have re-train any Delta flight attendant. Delta's not buying Etihad. 0 chance. Literally 0.

This will just be another partnership so you can book tickets through Delta for Etihad metal. Just like you can for rest of Skyteam.

smartytravel

Of course they would. Delta is quickly becoming a RyanAir of SkyTeam, and they want to bring down the standards for everyone around.

That said, I'm still praying for two things:
1) A governmental ban on anti-competitive JVs for all
2) Etihad is never going to agree to this

hhdl

My idle hypothesis is that we see EY, LY, and RX join SkyTeam at the same time. Recent events might have affected that, but:

* If EY is back on the traffic growth trajectory, connecting feed from an alliance is useful for them; they're not bending the knee to QR so OW is out, and I think TK/AI/ET?/LH?/MS?/SQ?? would be enough to keep EY out of *A
* SV would seem likely to veto EY joining ST, but if RX (same owner, ultimately) goes straight into the alliance that objection goes away (and RX will have the same issues with joining the other alliances as EY would have)
* LY is almost certainly whom DL (as a key member of ST) would rather join in that general vicinity

Note that for now AFKL codeshares on EY metal will not be eligible for SkyMiles earning or elite benefits.

ClipperDelta

The new AF-KL-EY partnership also does not include elite status-earning (I.e., no XPs for EY flights with Flying Blue), so is pretty useless for some of us.

I have no more information than the next person about whether DL will ever cooperate with EY, but it is far from given that DL will even entertain that option just because AF-KL are now a bit closer to EY.

One significant example where DL and AF-KL (and Skyteam) have not acted in tandem is DL’s equity stake in and JV with LATAM. To date, AF-KL are still attached to GOL instead and have made no moves to be closer to LA, while LA has also not shown any signs of wanting to join Skyteam…

TrojanTraveler

I’ve seen AF code shares on Finnair and Qantas, so this could be a similar set up.

Duke787

It does seem like we're seeing some clear alignment of the ME3 even if EY and EK never actually join an Alliance.

1) You have QR which actually owns a stake in BA via their IAG ownership and part of OW.

2) You have the return of the EWR - DXB flight on UA that launched earlier this year with codeshares on EK for continuing into the region

3) You know have this EY + AF/KLM/DL code share

I don't know if they'll ever actually join SkyTeam but close coordination is a definite possibility. After all, EK has a had a long time partnership with QF that was virtually like being in the same alliance and we know that VS had a similar arrangement with DL until recently when they actually joined SkyTeam.