+1

I don't doubt their quality at all. What I was wondering is what destinations they really bring to the network that aren't served by the other partners. Mind you, I have no objections to them being a part of the network, since it adds choice and redemption capacity...

Don't know. But they appear (a) to be stable and (b) to add substantial network coverage in mainland Europe as well as Russia + most of the *fillintheblank*-stans that aren't currently covered by the existing members. So there's value/relevance there. Same goes for Malaysian (in SE Asia), and although it's been 20+ years since I flew them last, I understand they are a pretty decent outfit.

They certainly appear to be several notches above AI.

Air Berlin is not really stable because they have serious financial problems and had to cut down their network. They are as decent as a LCC and holiday carrier can get. (For 1W users located in Oz: Air Berlin is similar to what Virgin Blue used to be before they decided to abandon the LCC game and became Virgin Australia.)

Yes but the point I am trying to make is that if Kingfisher goes under (which I bet it will) 1W will miss out on a good Indian network. With Jet off to star, AI being snubbed by star is a god send.
Sure it may be a crappy airline but Star and Sky are full of crappy airlines so why can't 1W have 1 or 2 to bulster its network.
1W is seeming smaller and smaller as the other 2 alliances go on mass recruiting drives and snap all these airlines up. I think OW might lack ambition if it carries on allowing the other 2 to grow and grow and not catch up with them.
China Eastern Airlines is a good example. It narrowed down the choices to SkyTeam or OneWorld and by personal choice of the CEO chose SkyTeam. OneWorld lost itself a foothold in China. It cant allow itself to do the same in India. Sri Lankan is good for India but will not have as large an Indian network as AI will.

Growth at any cost is not constructive at all and certainly just taking on board a bunch of crappy partners is not a recipe for progress, but for decline.

I'd also like OW to focus on delivering its own product in the best possible way without always thinking it should be looking with paranoia to what happens elsewhere.

The idea that a large alliance of rubbish airlines is going to get me to abandon OW just because they might happen to serve a destination not directly served by OW just doesn't add up. I suspect most of us on occasion fly a non OW airline out of necessity. When I do, it mostly just make me appreciate again what I get with BA and the OW alliance. (including TPs and Avios ;))

Well, I guess that the fact that 1W has accepted Air Berlin shows that 1W feels that your perspective has its limits.

I'd much rather OW built a network to the top 10 or 15 India destinations by partnering with EY or QR rather than have the ability to go to every 2-bit destination using AI - but then having to deal with (a) AI and (b) the crapshoot involved in airport transits in India (witness the countless threads titled "3 hour connection - do I have enough time to transfer from int'l to domestic @ BOM/MAA etc").

IT would have fixed (a) if they actually were solvent but that went downhill rather fast. Given that OW doesn't seem averse to the odd LCC (e.g. AB), Indigo may not be a bad option to evaluate. Still, that leaves (b). And (b) leaves a lot to be desired :D

I do agree that the loss of China Eastern perhaps was unfortunate - but then again, I personally don't have any business or leisure destinations in mind that CX couldn't address :) YMMV

Edited to add: If China Eastern is in the habit of making strategic decisions of this sort solely on the personal choice of the CEO rather than on a rational data-based approach with BOD backing, then I for one as an OW member am glad they went to ST.

OneWorld still needs to grow IMO.

There are 'good quality' airlines out there who are still single. Air Astana for example is interested in OW, Qatar Airways (YES!), Etihad, Emirates, Gulf Air (also interested in OW), Royal Brunei, Royal Nepal, Belavia etc.

Pakistan International want to join star. My relatives fly MAN-JFK with them cause their cheap but I suspect this will be another AI style saga.

Oneworld might be able to get Qatar or Etihad, but probably not both. Emirates is against joining an alliance. They're happy eating away at everyone else's market share.

That's China for you.

Good reasoning. The choice is among airlines, more or less on "as is" basis.

Let's remember that is China we are talking of, where shady deals, politically influential individuals and lots a money can often sway otherwise logical decisions. Comrade Chairman Liu, MU current CEO, has been closely associated with French interests since its days at China Southern, and his political connections were evidently strong enough to allow MU switch from OW to ST. Such kind of deals however are always dependent on the political mood of the time and the speed in which individuals can adapt to changing situations , so I would not assume that MU membership in ST is written in stone, or in other words, that CA will remain in * for the foreseeable future.

Not only that, having some of their best partners blocking award seats won't help.
( in *, SQ, LX, LH)

What about Biman Bangladesh Airlines? :D

I believe they are alliance-less