PVDtoDEL

You're surely joking if you think that AI cares about its reputation. The reputation is already in tatters - it can't really get much worse.

A2A

then they can stick it out and be actually 'thrown out' rather than have a facesaving exit. i think if they get thrown out, then no alliance will touch them. if they withdraw and talk to skyteam or oneworld, maybe.

jasepl

If true, this will make it easier for Jet to get their wish and join Star. And that will be unfortunate for Jet, in my opinion.

As for Air India, I don't care what happens to them in terms of alliance membership, so long as the wretched beast dies a quick death.

Wildboar

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...m-ends/482772/

AI's move to Star Alliance is definitely off with the *A members not approving their membership unanimously. The latest pilot strike has been painted as the final straw by Ajit Singh. The government also seem to want to let Jet's membership go ahead as per this article and let Air India talk to OneWorld and SkyTeam so that is good news.

A2A

this was put up in this thread this morning

Yaatri

The article kicks a lot of dust with little information, which seems to be typical of Indian journalists today. "Exclusive club" The only news in the article is
I would like to know what the letter says.

The amount is not something that wll make or break AI. it's already broken and money is the only thing that's needed to make it better.
The only barrier to 9W joining the alliance is GoA's stance, which they can change. But why?
That, I agree with.
For some reason, Indian flyers, airlines and officials. all consider *A , not just better, but also prestigious. It's a status thing. Being admitted to "exclusive club" is a matter of pride. It's ridiculous that people who are supposed to be running a business are emotionally handicapped with this obsession with "status". Regardless of duplicity on LH's part, it's time to move on.
Let Jet join the alliance. Make LH pay. jet will find out that *A is not the prize it (former) thinks it (latter) was. If GoI has a backbone, LH might come to regret the game it played. There was no reason to grant favours to LH. This entire episode smells so Indian. You need or want something, find an inside connection, bribe if you have to, never mind about meeting the requirements. Bribing LH was the easiest way to get into "the exclusive club". Bribes are not refundable. Fees are insignificant. There is no reason the GoI has to keep on giving.

Yaatri

I agree with this too. Our reasons are probably different.

AI is not about to go away. I would be happy to fly AI if it met my schedule, and more often if it joined the alliance that gets the most of my business.

N830MH

Unfortunately, we have a bad news for Air India. They won't be joined the Star Alliance. We are very disappointing news to hear.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationa...-gain-lift-off

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/air-...rejected-17293

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...m-ends/482772/

Sorry to say that AI was unable to joined the Star Alliance.

Perhaps, they will have find another Alliance. Either way Oneworld or Skyteam.

TPJ

THE REAL NEWS would be 'AI finally joins Star'

Will not happen any time soon...

AA_EXP09

It would be better for Star because they need an Indian airline to succeed globally.
IT was going to help OW a lot but they backed or of the offer...
(It would also help because I could redeem AC miles on AI YQ free. I don't care about it on revenue tickets because I don't pay it, but, on award tickets, I really care.)
EDIT: Except WS because $15 isn't worth the effort to remove.

N830MH

Sorry, man! They won't work. There is nothing can be done for now. From now on, AI will have find another alliance.

ups

For anyone interested, a related thread now running in the OW forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...-oneworld.html

PVDtoDEL

Demonstrates how awful AI's reputation is perfectly. AI could be the best airline in the world, but as long as people perceive it as poor, it's reputation is going to suck.

SQ421

As the great man Navjot Singh Siddhu once said, "If ifs and buts were pots and pans, there would be no tinkers"

AI will never be anywhere near the best airline in the World. It has less to do with perception and more to do with the fact that it is still run as a Government department from the Socialist era.

Shut it down and use taxpayers money towards better use.

Yaatri

A profound saying. Mr Siddhu got it wrong though.

The above is a perfect example of perception being more powerful than reality. All businesses in India, whether Govt run or privately run suffer from drawbacks of culture and attitude.
Aren't people saying that Jet Airways looks more and more like AI. Does the govt run Jet? Did the Govt force Jet?
Whatever happens to AI is not very relevant here. The Govt should take a decision on the application and it's free to do what it wants with AI and LH.