China Airlines and Sky Team
 

I read, some months back, that China Airlines have expressed an interest in joining Sky Team. I have searched the net for more information but I can’t find any articles. Is it just rumour or are talks still on going?

Still just rumor. Nothing formally announced yet.

Seems hard to imagine China Airlines coming in, since China Southern is already there. The whole China-Taiwan thing.

CI already has reciprocal agreements with CZ and other Chinese airlines on their FFPs. The China-Taiwan thing should pose no hindrance in CI joining Skyteam or any other alliances of which Chinese airlines are already members.

That's face it, the service in China Airlines is way better than China Southern. I'd be happy if they join....

That's not such a big problem anymore. Currently there are weekend cross straights flights by both the Taiwanese airlines and Chinese mainland airlines, no need for a stop in HKG or MFM anymore if you're traveling on those days. As already mentioned several of the FF programs are partners now between the mainland and Taiwanese carriers.

There did seem to be somewhat of a formal announcement that CI was supposed to join this year but doesn't look like it'll happen by the end of the year now since no more news has been put out there. Personally I'd like it if CI would join up since this allows a lot more option intra-Asia than we have at the moment. I really don't mind CI's Dynasty Class and in some markets its priced pretty competitively though their BS 7kg carry on rule is terribly annoying. I can see this in coach where the overhead space is more limited in relation to the # of pax but in business seems totally unnecessary. I'll never understand carryon luggage being limited by weight rather than size.

They also have very old interiors and will not be updating them anytime soon. They are making huge cutbacks in everyway possible to save money. I reckon they will be better off stop flying all thier friends and family for free

Just Yesterday they reached an agreement to have daily flights, we'll be seeing those really soon. This might promt CI to join ST sooner to limit direct competition between CZ and CI.

Alot of CZ pilots are from taiwan, due to mainland China's huge shortage, with more direct flghts, i would't be surpriced to see TPE based flight crews flying around the mainland during the day, and fly home at night. who knows, CZ might just make TPE a hub, or maybe even a merger.:p

Impossible, unless you want a repeat of this happening. The Taiwanese side has shown that they don't take too kindly to anything mainland Chinese being on Taiwanese soil.

I apologize for mixing politics into this but was doing it to merely prove a point.