SkyTeam announce UX, KQ, CM, RO entry as Associate airline
Jun 9, 2005, 8:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: YVR
Posts: 3,918
SkyTeam announce UX, KQ, CM, RO entry as Associate airline
SkyTeam announced Air Europa, Kenya Airways, COPA, TAROM will join SkyTeam in the next 12 months as Associate airline of SkyTeam.
Four Carriers to Join SkyTeam
Four Carriers to Join SkyTeam
Jun 9, 2005, 9:40 am
#2
Join Date: May 2003
Location: ATL/MOO (Many Others Often)
Programs: DL GM (2MM), Lifetime Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,456
Not Impressed
I guess this is the path of all future alliance growth as all the "good" airlines are taken. Looking at some of their websites, one qualification will be, I hope, an English version.
Definitely, a ho hum announcement in my book.
Definitely, a ho hum announcement in my book.
Jun 9, 2005, 4:04 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 52
So what are the timeframes for these associate airlines to enter the alliance? What are the differences between Associate Airlines? I would've thought KQ could've been a full-fledged alliance partner, no? COPA too! I guess with Star Alliance having two, SkyTeam can now trump it and have double the number!
Jun 9, 2005, 4:46 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Soon to be LEGT
Posts: 10,928
Originally Posted by woody125
I guess this is the path of all future alliance growth as all the "good" airlines are taken. Looking at some of their websites, one qualification will be, I hope, an English version.
Definitely, a ho hum announcement in my book.
Definitely, a ho hum announcement in my book.
IMHO it's a rather decent bunch of airlines. KQ is a great addition to Skyteam, and UX opens up the Spanish regions and more flights to S. America. The other two aren't heavyweights, but bad airlines they are not.
But the absence of MH and a South American airline are serious gaps that need to be plugged. Now.
Jun 10, 2005, 9:34 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: WAS
Posts: 133
Originally Posted by samsonyuen
So what are the timeframes for these associate airlines to enter the alliance? What are the differences between Associate Airlines? I would've thought KQ could've been a full-fledged alliance partner, no? COPA too! I guess with Star Alliance having two, SkyTeam can now trump it and have double the number!
Jun 10, 2005, 10:31 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MOW
Programs: KLM Flying Dutchman forever, bmi Diamond Club (is there a theme here?), LH, BA, EK, DL nobody
Posts: 1,877
Originally Posted by magyarflieger
It looks like the individual airlines join a full member's FFP, and that carrier helps bring them into the alliance. ...... COPA makes sense as they were already a OnePass partner, but KQ still puzzles me.
Jun 10, 2005, 10:55 am
#8
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Programs: CO Platinum HHonors Diamond Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,312
FYI - Interesting debate on the merits of each in the DL forum if you're interested:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=441658
peace,
~Ben~
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=441658
peace,
~Ben~
Jun 10, 2005, 11:51 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 52
I wonder if associate airlines can go into full-fledged airline after a proving period. Kenya definitely should be. I'm not sure about Air Europa, the third-biggest airline in Spain (Iberia in oneworld and Spanair in Star Alliance), or TAROM, maybe COPA.
Jun 10, 2005, 1:21 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Near Barcelona, Spain
Programs: DL nothing now, HH Gold
Posts: 70
UX is a great addition for me. From my base in BCN it opens many possibilities, and its a decent airline that's growing very fast with new international routes (example, to China direct in 2006, etc).
Jun 10, 2005, 4:23 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Smaller airlines are likely to remain associate rather than full-blown partners as it means lower costs for them. KQ and CM are definitely useful additions. Not so sure about RO. As to UX, it will depend on which classes are eligible for earning. I would suspect that the lower fares will not eligible (similar to JK in *A), which would substantially diminish the usefulness of UX as a partner. I seem to recall that earning on UX was pretty limited under the KL FD scheme.
Jun 12, 2005, 7:31 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG PLAT, NWA Plat
Posts: 645
Originally Posted by NickB
Smaller airlines are likely to remain associate rather than full-blown partners as it means lower costs for them. KQ and CM are definitely useful additions. Not so sure about RO. As to UX, it will depend on which classes are eligible for earning. I would suspect that the lower fares will not eligible (similar to JK in *A), which would substantially diminish the usefulness of UX as a partner. I seem to recall that earning on UX was pretty limited under the KL FD scheme.
Could you explain the cost differential? How would it be cheaper?
Jun 12, 2005, 8:46 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Originally Posted by ewj
Could you explain the cost differential? How would it be cheaper?
Last edited by NickB; Jun 12, 2005 at 8:49 am
Jul 4, 2005, 12:36 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: CHS
Posts: 146
Originally Posted by magyarflieger
It looks like the individual airlines join a full member's FFP, and that carrier helps bring them into the alliance.
The Associate - Sponsor airlines are :
* Air Europa - Air France
* Copa Airlines - Continental Airlines
* Kenya Airways - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
* Tarom - Alitalia
* Air Europa - Air France
* Copa Airlines - Continental Airlines
* Kenya Airways - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
* Tarom - Alitalia
Jul 4, 2005, 5:02 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Originally Posted by AeroDD
Based on the SkyTeam press release, I agree with your statement. The press release lists their individual sponsors:
So since Copa is already a part of OnePass, and Kenya is already a part of Flying Dutchman/Flying Blue, does it seem to be a reasonable assumption from this list that Air Europa will adopt Flying Blue and Tarom will adopt MilleMiglia?
So since Copa is already a part of OnePass, and Kenya is already a part of Flying Dutchman/Flying Blue, does it seem to be a reasonable assumption from this list that Air Europa will adopt Flying Blue and Tarom will adopt MilleMiglia?