News About SkyTeam
 

There is a thread on Who would be the next SkyTeam member? but there doesn't seem to be a thread on other general news related to SkyTeam. Anyhow, here are a couple of interesting recent articles:

Korean Airlines mulls CSA Czech stake
The article mentions both QR and KE as being (separately) interested in CSA. Personally, I'd like to see CSA remain in SkyTeam, and so would prefer KE to invest. (Not that a non-SkyTeam investment would necessarily mean CSA leaving SkyTeam, but presumably investment from another SkyTeam airline wouldn't raise such questions about alliance membership). I wonder if potential investment from KE may also be a factor behind CSA's recent decision to restart long-haul services with the Prague-Seoul route.

SkyTeam seeks clarity on proposed China Southern-Air China joint A380 operation
Interesting discussion on CZ's challenges in finding a way to use its A380 fleet profitably...

http://centreforaviation.com/news/ko...-report-211385

Korean Air is reportedly the only bidder for a 44% stake in Czech.

And here's an article about the status of all three alliances in Latin America, and the prospects for SkyTeam to bring Gol on board in some way or other: Pressure mounts on Star and SkyTeam to secure Brazilian members as TAM confirms switch to oneworld

Korean Air has offered to pay 2.64 million euros ($3.44 million) for the struggling CSA Airlines and to use its base in Prague as the main European hub for KE. The $3.44 million for 44% stake is not much money, but good for PR. It will be the first Korean carrier ever that has a stake in a foreign carrier.



Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013...#ixzz2NEOpc1aZ

What exactly does "main European hub" mean? I can't imagine that they'll stop flying to LHR, CDG, AMS, or FRA in favor of letting OK carry people the last bit. OZ will eat them for lunch if they try that. Now if it means stopping routing to ZRH via VIE and MAD via AMS (is that still the routing), I could see that. Maybe higher frequency to PRG and then continue to ZRH, VIE, and MAD with some sort of rotation and more cities with connections on OK.

Anything that keeps OK solvent is good for the alliance at this point, it seems.

I reckon main airports like LHR, FRA, CDG will still be served non-stop. They are not stupid. But for places to which they have less traffic (possibly MUC, HAM, BCN, MAD, VIE, ZRH, FCO, MIL, etc) they can use OK flights and offer convenient connections every day, maybe even ICN-PRG twice a day, which would allow for better connections from Oz, too. They can also offer some of the latter places as direct connections.
The concept they currently use is very inconvenient, and so the OK model might actually work better.

I agree that everything done to keep OK in the alliance is a good thing, but I don't see at all KE point making a EU hub in PRG with OK. The number of destinations served by OK is very small compared to what they have access through AMS and CDG. Of course, OK can add flights and open new destinations but OK has become an ultra-niche carrier and is literally eaten step by step by LCC. So, relying on low yield connecting traffic from KE seems very hazardous to me.
But, of course, €2.6 millions is absolutely nothing for KE, but there will be much more money to invest after to make this work :rolleyes:

here is a list of top 10 destinations from PRG, so using prague as a hub airport for KE does not make any sense at all. KE already has direct flights from ICN to most of the cities listed below except for BRU and BCN.

Rank Airport Passengers handled
1 Paris-Charles de Gaulle 550,902
2 London-Heathrow 430,453
3 Frankfurt 415,630
4 Moscow-Sheremetyevo International 404,024
5 Amsterdam Schiphol 374,220
6 Madrid-Barajas 300,432
7 Rome-Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci 290,972
8 Brussels 265,756
9 Zürich 249,963
10 Barcelona 245,423

Seems the KE-OK partnership is developing: Korean Air / CSA Czech Airlines Expands Codeshare Service from late-March 2013

KE will codeshare on OK flights from PRG to: ARN; CDG, NCE; FCO, MXP; MUC, TXL, STR; and ZRH.

As PRG is further east than AMS or CDG, it should mean KE can offer slightly faster routings via PRG, as there's no need to double-back from locations in Germany, Italy, etc. Also, I get the impression that PRG is a fairly compact and uncrowded airport, so it may be quicker (or at least easier) to transfer through than CDG or AMS.

OK will codeshare on KE flights to BKK, DAD, DPS, FUK, GUM, HAN, SGN, CGK, ROR, BKI, KUL, NGO, KIJ, OKJ, KIX, CTS and NRT.

Bem-Vindo à SkyTeam – Brazilian Portuguese Launched on SkyTeam.com
 

On a related note, I wonder if SkyTeam will introduce a 'Go South America' pass at some point? (As it's one of the few areas that doesn't have such a pass yet).

SkyTeam to focus on closer cooperation among members
 

I don't think anyone here has commented on this article yet: SkyTeam to focus on closer cooperation among members

It quotes Michael Wisbrun (SkyTeam Managing Director - not CEO...) as saying "we have to create value for the members we have" - but doesn't provide many details, other than mentioning SkyTeam-branded lounges and clustering luggage drop-off points.

The article also says "The SkyTeam is currently the second biggest alliance, but will lose several airlines later this year due to mergers and airlines opting for other alliances." - which seems a bit strange. I know Aeroflot was muttering about being unhappy with SkyTeam last year - but has anyone heard anything about airlines actually planning to leave this year? (I wonder if somehow it is a mix-up by a journalist, and in fact means SkyTeam will drop to being the third largest alliance, due to mergers and changes at the other two?)

The article also quotes Wisbrun as saying "we won't focus on going to more members" - which makes the Uzbekistan Airways news in this thread even more confusing...

Alex Dol , Vice President of Sales at Axal SA, a full french subsidiary of Air France KLM Group in charge of Air France partnerships commented that the number of hubs will undoubtfully increase in the years to come throughout Europe due to the surge of passengers

SkyTeam Records Growth in Member Collaboration
 

Key points from the article:

SkyTransfer: SkyTeam's initiative for transferring pax, initially at ATL, JFK, MEX, AMS, CDG, ICN, MAD, CAN, BJS and PVG. It sounds like this is mainly a behind-the-scenes initiative, with 'Connection Control Units' and 'Transfer Service Centres'. It also mentions a harmonised 'service recovery standard' for care and assistance (presumably in the event of delays and cancellations leading to missed connections). Does anyone have any insights into what is actually in this standard? As I am sure many people would agree that 'the real measure of an airline is not what they do when things go well, but what they do when things go wrong (eg: IRROPS, missing baggage, etc)', setting out a minimum standard across the alliance sounds like a positive initiative ^.

SkyPriority: Coverage is at 92% of the network. further plans include 'more priority immigration and security lanes' ^, 'dedicated call centres' (I'm still not sure what is meant by this, unless it's SkyPriority numbers/options for each member airline's own call centres?) and 'SkyPriority baggage desks' (I thought I'd already seen these in some airports).

SkyPort: This seems to be the term for airport co-location. DXB lounge due in 2015, and SYD by end of 2014 (both of these have been announced before). Nothing else specific.

Commercial Synergies: This covers RTW and regional fare passes, Global Meetings and corporate contracts.
It's great that RTW fares can now be booked online, but I wish they'd make the regional fare passes easier to book (last time I tried to get one, I couldn't find anyone - even at various SkyTeam airline's own reservation centres - who was aware of it or could sell me one...)

Hope Korean Air can leave Skyteam, even though KE is one of the founding members.

KE should join OneWorld.

With JL in, no way.