I'm getting bored of waiting!!! :mad:

Has anyone read any updates? Latest reports I've read it seems Star Alliance would open there arms to both Air India and Jet Airways!! I thought the Indian government said they wouldn't allow Air India and Jet Airways to join the same alliance.. :confused:

Star Alliance has allegedly threatened that it would bar AI from joining the alliance if the former is not allowed to admit another member. This might backfire at LH.

Welcome to SkyTeam, Air India!

http://www.foxbusiness.com/industrie...star-alliance/

There is no indication in this article that AI has definitely given up on joining Star Alliance or that AI is going to join Skyteam. However, if AI joins Skyteam, the Indian Govt hhas indicated that if Star Alliance turns AI down, it won't allow any other Indian carrier to join Star Alliance either. In that case Jet Airways has a choice to remain a spinster to become an old maid, or be in a polygamous marriage with Skyteam. Although having two airlines from India is good in terms of opening up more choices for Skyteam flyers, it's best at this time to have 9W and AI join different alliances.

I am OK with both or either, but not having any Indian member in Skyteam is a disadvantage to Skyteam.

Sorry I give out the wrong article. Here is the correct one:

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report...liance_1570457

It said that: "The ministry official quoted above said that in case Star Alliance does not work out, AI could look towards working with another global alliance, SkyTeam, which is sending a delegation to India next week to explore business opportunities here."

Yes, but that simply dooes not mean that AI is joining the alliance. It's four days old news. I have no opposition to it though.

Funny, I had the same initial reaction to the news that Star was fed up and thereby rejected AI's entry. I applaud Star Alliance for maintaing some standards in the end.

SkyTeam is the obvious fit!

Oh pleased, it's not as if Star alliance does not already have poor airlines in it.
It wasn't just Ai pursuing Star, Star (management) was enamored by AI too. Why would Star Alliance give AI so much time?

Obviously, Star was/is desperate to get into the Indian market and thereby lower its standards to some extent.

But, in the end, they showed that they could only lower them so far. Yes, there are multiple poor airlines in Star Alliance, but AI would set a new bar -- i.e., be the worst.

Just like Marriott has some poor properties in its portfolio, but that doesn't mean that it would accept any hotel at all, and in fact jettisons some of the poorest ones on occasion.

A logical fit for Skyteam
 

Air India/ Indian Airlines also had a close relationship with AF pre Lufthansa The popular perception is that Skyteam is the third choice alliance in terms of quality of airlines, network and offerings to Elites. The same is true of AI in the Indian market, empirically -- it is the third choice Indian full service carrier. So Skyteam should be a good fit

IF AI does not close down/ privatise and morph into something else then of course the game is wide open again.

I find it hard to believe that *A could stoop any lower than Spanair.

AI is WAAAAAAAAAY better than Spanair...

But yes, welcome to SkyTeam Air India.

Also welcome to A380 slots at DEL Air France!!!

I had read reports that SkyTeam were also talking to IndiGo - although I can't find them to link here...

I think *A will get 6E - since they are gonna lose AI and IT... (and probably 9W)

This perception is typical for those who do not have much experiences with airline alliances, travel only to a restricted part of the world, tend to generalise their personal experience and/or put opinion above facts. (Skyteam's network has clearly more destinations that OW's network, for example.) In the end alliances are similar to FFPs: there is no such thing as a best FFP/alliance. It depends on your individual needs.