Is One World too selective on partners?
 

Just been looking at the new OW website (quite snazzy) and it occured to me... OW is wayyy more selective that *A in terms of partners... on the main page we have the 8 partner airlines (and aer is leaving ... 7 left) with their logos on the left... nice big letters.

on the *A website there is 15+ airlines - so many that it is pretty hard to read the logos!

Surely OW needs to get more partner or they will just get eclipsed by *A?

Well, the OW site doesn't include American Eagle, American Connection, LAN Peru nor QantasLink, will soon include Japan Air Lines, and will probably not list Japan Asia Airways nor JALways. Does that make you feel better? :p

I agree. Even SkyTeam have more partners now. With both ST and *A taking in regional partners, should it be time enough for them too? And I think it (and ST) both need to have more Canadian presence.

I am quite glad that OW is very selective. It definitely has the best overall carriers of any alliance. Why try to weaken that with adding a few second rate carriers?

Don't forget the JL, RJ and MA are joining shortly.

OW is only really weak in Africa (something that will hopefully be sorted out soon). If LAN's other affiliates join OW that will also bolster the Central and South American routes so there really is little need to add more carriers.

I think OW is not selective enough. For me OW+JL-EI-RJ-MA is all I ever need/want.

I can readily admit, however, that few will share this POV, so a larger OW is fine with me too.

LX is definitely not a second rate carrier. But thanks to a particular airline that saBAtoged their entry into Oneworld, LX went to Star.

Speaking of second rate carriers, IB would be it....

I would have thought MA fit that description before IB (especially intercontinentally).

MA has something like 5 planes capable of intercontinental travel (so BA didn't blackball them). So they are currently a non-player. They do bring some good Y service long-haul (probably the best Y in OW) but J- at best. I guess the LONEx buyers will rejoice.

Malev fleet:

Boeing 767-200ER 2 units - 185 seats
Boeing 737-800 NG 5 units - 180/160 seats
Boeing 737-700 NG 7 units - 119 seats
Boeing 737-600 NG 6 units - 102 seats
Fokker 70 5 units - 72 seats
CRJ 200 ER 4 units - 50 seats
Total: 29 units

source: malev.com

I think it was more a case of OW needing more carriers in Europe, than OW specifically wanting MA.

That said I think generally OW is a much better alliance, operated very seamlessly imho. *A seems to have to big a gap between rich and poor, and sky tean seems to just be the ones who missed the first boat.

One good thing about MA is that their intra-europe seats in the fokker 70s are like the F seats on AA and not the nonsense that usually passes for biz in Europe. Took MA from BRU to BUD several years ago in Y and thought they were very good. Surprised me when I saw the nice seats.

*A website doesnt list out all the regional subsidiaries/feeder airlines either.