If the talks (if any) move smoothly, any idea how long this usually takes?

I dont for sure but it depends on the airline, country etc..etc


here is a news flash regarding Aeroflot:

http://www.skyteam.com/EN/aboutSkyte...r/pr052404.jsp

and its still in the queue (I think its still in the queue)

General news: http://www.skyteam.com/EN/aboutSkyte...nter/press.jsp

It takes a while, and the news archives may give you some idea.

Worse than BA executive club

Seriously speaking, I do honestly believe that days of non-affiliated carriers are numbered (to better or worse).... unless there is restriction of competition (nat'l flag carrier with everyone else banned) or unless airline is LCC. surviving on it's own just does not generate enough feed traffic to be profitable for a hub and spoke model (and point to point schedule is even less profitable).
Hope MH will join ST - if so, they will get a new customer as I might re-consider my flight pattern (currently I have to fly to KUL via SIN and put miles to UA as for some reason fly MH and put miles to VS strile me as odd bcs they are not status)
AX

What happens if it joins the Associate Program first, as some other airlines have done? What would that mean?

Why should they? If they did, that would mean no FFP of their own and no vote when it comes to taking alliance-wide decision. MH is a major airline while the Associate program is for smaller regional carriers (and no airline has so far joined it, BTW, it's only in the works). And I don't think an airline can join the Associate program first as your choice of words seem to imply, and then be upgraded to full membership

who knows... have seen an article 2 days ago that they plan to sell 30 aircraft (737s and 747s) to generate additional cash (along with their HQ building in KL)... I'm not sure what else they can do except downsizing (at least temporarily)... all of their European and US routes are non-profitable. and until recently they did some craziest things marketing -wise (i.e. you was able to buy F seat on PEN-KUL leg of their LON-KUL service for RM 230... this is nothing provided one would able to drink a bottle of DP (as some have proven) which is MORE expensive. needless to say it also generated confusion along the pax when MH mixed holiday and business traffic on the route... I preferred SQ LHR-SIN-PEN over direct MH LHR-PEN exactly to avoid holidaying traffic.
AC

This would be a great addition to SkyTeam and a Skyteam-MH relationship would certainly help MH too.

It's too bad that MH didn't join SkyTeam already and is having financial problems. They have some pretty good routes that I would have flown if they were a member of SkyTeam or some other major airline.

One step closer to reality according to this news... ^

sorry new thread

MH coming to skyteam would be great.

I hope this comes through. Would open up some way to make it out of KIX to points outside of Seoul and the U.S.

is this a fact yet or still a rumor

It is a fact that they are in discussions or negotiations to join SkyTeam. But China Southern was announced in August 2004 and they have still not finalized. It can take a long time before things get finalized and effective. Many of us have wondered why these things can take so long.

When SU, MH and CZ join, will ST then be the largest alliance??

Just for your information (not to be nit pickey) there is a NWA flight from KIX to TPE as well. I was on it last month.