India air competition is getting smaller, how will *A react?
 

Looks like Air India and Indian Airline are merging as are Jet Airways and Air Sahara. This changes the Indian aviation landscape dramatically.

Will *A be interested in getting one of these mega airlines into the fold?
Has anyone flown all four airlines and can comment on whether they are worthy to be in *A?

I've flown all four quite extensively -- at least over the years -- and Jet is very good, Air Sahara rather decent with Indian trailing. Air India can really be backwards in coach but decent in the forward cabins. All in, I am looking forward to seeing Jet+Sahara come into a major airline alliance I use -- far more than looking forward to Air India+Indian in the same.

AI codeshares extensively with a bunch of *A airlines, and AI pax can earn award miles on LH flights (vice versa - LH pax can earn points on AI's "Flying Returns" FFP)

9W CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer is ex OS and ex *A chair so I keep hearing rumors about 9W going to join the *A. Anyway, *A seems to be talking both to AI and 9W http://www.expresstravelandtourism.c...rwaves04.shtml

But based on 9W's recent agreements it does not appear as they have signed agreements with Qantas and other non *A carriers. They also have an agreement with BA and when the air sahara deal is done they might just continue the later's agreement with AA. I also think that they don't want to join the *A or any alliance because since recently they have made their intl flights ineligible for mileage on partners. That's a definete no-no with any alliance. Also their agreement with UA seems to lost its way.

at yesterday's StarAlliance party in ZRH (featuring swiss' entry, all Star-carriers CEO and some flyertalkers were present), it was officially said, that Star is in intensive talks with (a) carrier(s) in China, India and Russia. While an announement about a chinese carrier to join star is expected in a few weeks, no timing details were given (yet) about India and Russia.

Who could it be in Russia? S7? Star Alliance member or not, I shudder at the notion of Novosibirsk layovers...

*A has been saying they're in talks with an indian, chinese and russian airline for years.

Have you been there? It is actually a very nice airport for connections and even longer layovers. Seriously!

I haven't been there, but it's not so much the airport itself as the notion of going there since it's their hub...for example, if I'd want to take S7 on the most popular route in Russia, DME-LED, I'd have to pass through OVB...hardly convenient.

see my observations in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ht=jet+airways