Sri Lankan Airlines join oneworld
 

Interestingly, no press release from Qantas, but I digress.

http://www.oneworld.com/news-informa...objectID=29625

Some interesting fifth freedom routes available, such as BKK-PEK/PVG/CAN/HKG, so could have some benefits for QFF in the region. UL did fly to SYD and MEL at one stage.

As an aside, does anyone know what the UL schedules were for SYD and MEL?

Does EK still have a management/shareholding deal with UL or did this expire a number of years ago?
Anyway is this a big gain for oneworld or is it just making up numbers in the alliance game?

I suspect many in QF HO are trying to figure out where CMB is and then whether they should operate a flight there (no not JetStar).

A PER-CMB flight would be nice (don't care if it's QF or UL):D

I agree with your sentiment on many trying to figure out where CMB is. I disagree with your ludicrous idea that QF is considering flying anywhere new overseas!

From the post 3 in the OW thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...-oneworld.html

8 Jul 2010 http://www.srilankanewstoday.com/news.php?newsid=1737

With QF moving from EZE to SCL, it demonstrates the benefit of supporting OW hubs. I suspect that keeps the South American route viable.

A future move in supporting CMB may build business for the Indian sub continent. QF seem to have abandoned China (possisbly because no one in QF HO knows anything about China), so perhaps its time to focus on India. Working with UL is probably the only way to do this since the BOM flight was given to JetStar.

Fantastic news. Together with MH, this provides great coverage for Oneworld across South-east Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. Looking forward to some status runs on MH and UL :D

It might make starting a xONE3 out of CMB more viable. The last time I looked at it, the cost and scheduling to get to/from CMB wasn't worth it.

Or they'd just increase the ex-CMB cost, now that it's a OW hub and thus easy to get to?

NRT is a oneworld hub and is one of the cheapest places in Asia to start a DONE3.

Those 5th freedom flights are excellent! They mostly leave BKK at reasonable times (except for the flight to PVG which is at 7am or something). I have flown both to CAN and HKG with them (in biz) and they were excellent - tasty food, comfortable seats and fantastic service!

Lounge facilities at HKG are miserable (the CAAC lounge) but in BKK they use the Air France Le Salon (actually pretty miserable as well, but it's very quiet). Guess that will change now with Oneworld though.

The best part are the fares! Very cheap (few hundred dollars one way in biz).

It wouldn't be a "new" route, it would simply be a reinstatement of a previously operated route http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Double_Sunrise

No. They are trying to work out of they fly there, and to ensure they cut the flight as soon as possible.

QF is about to become a domestic only carrier.

A380s on transcon flights! Yippee