drewsnav

It seems like ages since our last thread on new * members (6 months according to my search, a lifetime for this topic). With SAA and TAP joining this year, and Air China moving closer and closer, the question begs to be asked... who's next?

My hopes, in order of personal preference...

1) Dragonair
2) Jet or Sahara
3) Qatar or Emirates
4) Turkish

Thunderroad

Doubt it could happen, despite the 49% SQ ownership, but Virgin Air would be great.

jacob_m

There is currently not a single Star Alliance member based in the Middle East.
Most other continents are already fairly well covered already, like Europe (LH, BD, SK, OS), North America (UA, US, AC), and Asia (TG, SQ, OZ, NH).

So one of the major airlines from the Middle East would be great.
For example Emirates, Gulf air, or Qatar Airways.
All those airlines are quality, full service carriers with good coverage of the region in terms of destinations.
It would be a good complement to the current network.

paffendorf

In middle East, the most probable member is QR, because of several clues:
- complete FFP affiliation with LH
- code-sharing with LH (muc-doh & vv., fra-doh & vv.)
- code-sharing with ANA (bkk.doh & vv.) and complete FFP affiliation
- code-sharing with TG (doh-bkk and vv.)
- code-sharing with BD
- no other CS with OW or "Scary" Team.
- in FRA, QR moved to T1, usually reserved (except AZ) to LH & its partners.
EK is not very probably due to Scheik's way-of-thinking but also considering the EK-SQ ending FFP affiliation.


About dragonair, i don't really fancy this scenario, even considering the strong tie-up with CX.
The most probable (as regional member) is Silkair, sponsored by SQ: that seems to be possible.

Regarding VS, i'd like very much, but as we discuss several times, there are 2 problems:
1) Mr. Branson
2) neither LH or SK have a stake in VS, so i think they will not consider interesting the matter.

My two cents.

rpg1973

I guess *A coverage in South and Central America is not good enough. Unfortunately, the potential candidates to fulfill that gap (TACA, AV, COPA) are limited and closer to ST.

FT Guest xyzpdq

A variant of this topic could be "Who is the next * carrier to go down?"
In 2001 is was Ansett and NZ have been very close. US is desperately close right now, UA and AC is not doing good either (I doubt they will go down though). Further down the road: SK (and OS) could be swalloved by LH (once the scandinavian governments loose the grip)....

Well just an odd idea

henry999

Your #1 and #2s I've never flown. With limited experience on both of your #3s, I would say that Emirates is clearly the better. But what really prompted me to reply was your #4. Turkish? Wow. In my opinion, THY needs _big_ improvements--both physical and mental--before it is close to being equal to the standard of even the middling *A members, not to mention the leaders.

cheers,

Henry

henry999

I suppose you are using 'quality' here in the popular sense of 'high quality'. If so, I have to disagree strongly. Having spent a number of years in Dhahran, where oftentimes the only choice was between Gulf Air and Saudia, I find it mind-boggling that anyone could consider GF as 'high quality'. They are better than Saudia, yes (although that's not saying much)--but they are definitely in a completely different league than EK is.

It would be a big humiliation for *A if they ever had to admit a carrier such as Gulf Air.

cheers,

Henry

Al B

Interesting to see VASP Brazil just announced they are closing shop soon. May help give RG a bit of a leg up.

Al B

Not sure who "should" get in, but given OS recently increased their stake into Slovak Airlines up to 62% I think I would be fairly safe with a wager on who the next Regional will be !

jacob_m

Well i did say most other continents rather than all other continents.
There is an obvious lack of Star Alliance member airlines in both South America and Africa as well as in the Middle East.
My point was more that if they include more airlines they should focus on one of the regions/continents were they presently have no or few members, i.e. not a new European airline this time as there are plenty of them already covering pretty much all parts of Europe.
A second airline in South America would be highly appreciated.

Don't really have that much experience with any of the three carriers mentioned so I was more basing it on my own perception of the airlines (which is that they are all quality airlines).
Maybe that isn't true for GulfAir at least.

lhrpete

I would like to see Silk Air as a *Regional partner.

Of the Persian Gulf carriers Qatar would be my favourite, good standards of service without the self importance of EK.

The other one I would really like to see, but it's a very long shot, is QANTAS who, I believe from a credible source are not so happy in OW but more looking towards Skyteam.

paffendorf

i disagree with you. IMHO QR is better than EK, both in Y and in C. EK is better only regardin A345 service. Obviously it's a point of view, strictly connected with own experiences

cheers

dmilsi

I totally agree with you about QR. At any rate, EK will not, at least in the forseeable future, entertain the notion of entering into an alliance. BTW, GF has become a much better airline in the past few years under Mr. Hogan.

chariot

Are the odds of Emirates building alliances that slim? Don't they have an outside-* partnership with UA with earning and redeeming permitted (the way LH already ties up with South African)?
I would agree that while China's growing market seems to have been recognized, this can't be said about India, leaving * lacking an Indian subcontinent based partner.
A good guide would be to see the award charts. I frankly believe that there shouldn't be any N/A's on the Star Alliance Award Chart (well except Hawaii-Hawaii I guess)! Currently of the 14 region destinations on UA's version, it's Central Asia : 3 N/A's, Middle East: 2 and Africa: 2.
My $.02