today (August-25-2003) SonntagsZeitung (Zürich based, a resaonabe reliable newspaper source) reports that BA and SWISS (supported by AA) finally agreed on terms on which SWISS could join oneworld.

SWISS expects Brussel to decide on the competition issue in September2002 (but only after Brussel will have decided about the Iberia-BA 'case').

'Adaptions' of the SWISS ff-program (Qualiflyer) are already 'in study'.

The membership should start in early 2003 (SWISS hopes for jan-1-2003).

I have (cross-posted) posted this also in the oneworld-forum.

May be discussions about the future of the Qualiflyer-program are best posted here, general effects (on other ff-oneworld-programs and ff-oneworld-tactics) on oneworld may be better posted in the oneworld forum?

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 08-25-2002).]

From Reuters:
Swiss, BA set to form joint frequent flyer programme

Might be interesting, I will make TC Gold by December...

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airOli, the Swiss Air Line.

No, maybe Swiss papers say that but British papers clearly state that BA does not allow Swiss into OneWorld and will not happen until the regulatory environment changes. Translated, BA will not lose ONE slot at LHR under any circumstances to an accident prone unsafe economically unsound airline, they are however happy to pull away a few of the last Swiss stalwarts who can no longer fly to their preferred destinations easily anymore do to the small size of Swiss's long haul fleet.

Hfly I apologise if this is slightly off topic but in Travel and Leisure magazine September issue page 32 an interesting letter to the publisher was printed about Swiss. It reads as follows:

........."unfortunately my last trip on Swiss to Africa was awful. The only thing worse than the food was the service. If the airline believes that some new paint and a remake of its image will fix its problems, then it thinks too little of today's air travellers."

little bit off topic??

Any ideas about what the "adaptions" may be?

Stephen