Not even close, Star Alliance seems to have about 150 different member airlines.

Just kidding, but Star alliance will still be bigger.

Yeah but SU is of decent size, as are MH and CZ. Tyrolean or for that matter even Austrian (its parent) are relatvely tiny.

Yeah, it's the world's 42nd largest airline or something like that :) Definitely bigger than Tyrolean and Blue1 combined

I've just run the numbers and if CZ, MH, SU and KQ join up the Skyteam will be pretty much even with Star Alliance after Swiss and SAA join up, with roughly 400 million pax each (according to 2005 numbers). Iactually get about 401 million and change for *, and 399 for Skyteam, both leaving OneWorld in the dust, which will have only a bit more than 300 million oax even after JAL, Malev and Royal Air Jordanian joining up.

As long as this means that I get a full row in AA whenever not being upgraded, it is just fine with me. :p

Actually, MH cancelled MH7 (LHR-PEN-KUL and LHR-LGK-KUL) services as of mid-March. I was booked on that flight only to be rescheduled to a later flight the same day. If you don't have any biz in SIN, by all means go through KUL to save a few bucks (shopping, airport taxes, transit hotels, etc). Seems like the USD-pegged MY ringgit is no match for SG dollar these days.

But getting back to the subject thread, MH already gives mileage on NW and DL. So, what's to stop them from acceptance into ST?

There's got to be some major costs in joining up front, having to revamp flights, schedules, frequent flier programs, lounges, as well as computer programs, reservation systems, service standards....blah blah blah....also not sure how much each airline has to contribute to the alliance operating costs and such....

Doesn't sound like MH has lots of extra $$ right now...

Long term it seems to be a good investment....

well, MH does give credit, but there's so many conditions like that only certain classes qualify and and no domestic MH flights count...and then if that wasn't bad enough, no EQM at all...if i understand correctly, MH was invited many years ago, but didn't want to join ST. let's hope this lack of cash has knocked some sense into em.

Do anybody have any new info on the possibiliy of MH to join Skyteam? I am reloacating to SIN for at least one year and it would be nice to have a SE Asian partner in Skyteam. However I don't have my hopes up very high, this since that whenever an Airline is to join Skyteam it always seems to be a time consuming affair.

Regards Anders

I'd welcome another option for EWR-ARN and an ARN-KUL non-stop that earns miles in my SkyTeam programs of choice.

MH has signed an agreement with AZ:

http://hq.malaysiaairlines.com/mh/en...2-3C9BB3B21AE6

ST And SE Asia
 

A SE Asia ST partner has been discussed for years. Over this period of time there have been rumors that TG or SQ may leave *A. Talk of MH joining ST has been discussed ad nauseam. Matter of fact, if MH ever joins, it probably would be anticlimactic.

Instead of waiting forever, in the final analysis, maybe ST should go after BI. At least there would be a SE Asia partner in our favorite alliance. :D :) :cool: ;) :rolleyes:

Latest:

MAS still interested in joining alliance: CEO
Nicholas Ionides, Vancouver (04Jun07, 01:06 GMT, 305 words)


Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is still interested in joining a multilateral alliance but has made it less of a priority as it has focused on implementing restructuring initiatives over the past 18 months.

Managing director and CEO Idris Jala said at a briefing on the sidelines of the IATA annual general meeting in Vancouver: “That has always been on the cards. If the opportunity does arrive we will look at this.”

However he says that “we are not in active talks with alliances” and the airline has been successful in building up its network reach through bilateral codeshare agreements, such as with South African Airways of the Star Alliance and Alitalia of SkyTeam. Both those agreements were signed this year.

Jala also says that “a few more [are] in the pipeline” at a bilateral level, and talks are taking place with one airline in China and one in India which he will not identify. China Southern Airlines is seen as the most likely candidate in China.

“To my mind we get a lot of the benefits of the alliance in what we are doing” at a bilateral level, although he says that missing are the full benefits of loyalty programme ties with all members of a multilateral grouping.

MAS, which has long been seen as a potential future member of SkyTeam, has been implementing a wide-ranging restructuring programme since soon after Jala took over as head of the carrier at the end of 2005. He says that successfully implementing all aspects of its so-called Business Turnaround Plan remains the priority.

Restructuring initiatives have comprised a fleet and network downsizing as well as manpower reductions, among other things, and they have been producing results more quickly than expected.

Late last month full-year profit forecasts were significantly increased after much better-than-expected earnings were recorded in the first quarter.


Source: Air Transport Intelligence news