Does anyone know when will AI be joining *A?
Thanks

I dont think anyone even inside *A or AI knows an exact date yet - but I have heard March 2009 as a possible entry date from a number of sources - dont forget that AI need to first finish the merger with IC which involves a lot of system integration issues and then they need to comply with all the *A requirements so it will not be a quick process , so unlike most candidate members they have two major integration programmes to go through before they become full members of *A

So, it is AI, I gather also MS and ET, right, who are joining *A ?

Does not this bring the alliance a bit into disrepute ? Sorry but I had pretty bad experiences with both MS and ET (e.g. flights that don't exist, no explanation given). I never tried AI/IC but I am not sure I would...

I think alliances have to be kept exclusive, or am I wrong ?

True, ST has AZ and SU, so maybe they are all opening up to whoever comes...

I'm having a flight from DEL to FRA with AI on their new 77W in First.

it's sounds good. MS is a poor carrier but the new F on AI is worthwhile.

I hope AI will enter soon.

I feel the same about US and occasionally UA.

Not sure about MS but I think AI could be on the way to becoming quite a good carrier, the competition from Jet is quite fierce. Jet have excellent service.

MS has come a long way. A few years ago it was an utter mess. Now they're punctual, efficient and safe. CAI isn't a user-friendly airport but there's constant upgrading going on, as well as strong winds that the Egyptian aviation industry's going to be revamped.
Agreed, two national carriers from developing countries with reputations for inefficency doesn't look good but both AI and MS are improving. If Turkish could join, then so can MS.

How can *A allow a 5th rate carrier to join them

Well, I must say I never tried AI/IC, maybe I should... The things I have heard are quite horrible, but still, India is a huge market. The fact that it's a developing country is not the issue - I feel the same way about AZ (not a developing country) and I surely don't feel the same way about KQ or MH or RJ (technically developing countries), or even GA which I find quite good. Service and performance with KQ are as least as good as major European airlines, and MH or RJ even better in some regards.

Still, AI/IC, well, I'll then give it a try when it joins *A... I take a bit of time to adjust. I had horrible experiences with SU in the past, and since last time I flew it in 1995, I never tried again, I find it hard to believe that it has really changed (besides the hassle of getting a visa, I am too busy, though a quick stopover in MOW would be good sometimes). I should revise my world map of competence and incompetence...

About MS, I did fly it recently and am sorry but it was quite poor - late flights, rude staff, poor service with horrible food. One of the two terminals at CAI is not that bad though (but I think MS uses the other one), it's not just about the airport and the rude authorities there. But it may just have been a bad day...

And ET, is that really joining *A too ? That will make *A really go down... I think they should focus on quality, not quantity, it is so big already anwyay. I know lots of people who fly ET, and at least one third of the time the flight is either very very late (causing missed connections) or cancelled.

I still don't get why some major big good airlines are not in any alliance - SN, Olympic, MH (only a ST associate), GA, and of course EK, GF and Qatar Airways - there must be some more I am forgetting. The alliances lose out, these airlines lose out too - I am so used to the alliances and my status that I won't even consider EK, even though I flew it in the past and I know it is absolutely excellent. And when I go to Greece, I will go via FRA or AMS to stick to the alliances, insted of using Olympic -- what am I going to do with a few Greek miles every two years, take a holiday to Greece in 20 years ?

So, surely IC/AI took a smart decision, let's hope it's good for *A too.

Olympic... things must have really changed at Olympic. Shows that there are very different views on what makes a good airline. I flew them 18 months ago and thought the experience was awful.

I have not used them since a flight when the flight deck crew were smoking on takeoff (when they left the door open, before 9/11 obviously) and when they landed at Thessaloniki on the nonstop ATH-LHR without telling us.

It has not been difficult to find alternatives.

4yrs ago I would have never flown on AI, but now I do fly on them, as long as its not a 310 (Their 310 have tech. snags frequently, and when it comes to delay management, they are hopeless) or their older 747's (they are very badly maintained). Their service and food is actually excellent (I would say better then Jet's). Their 77L and 77W products are excellent. But their website is useless and full of bugs.

IC has improved greatly over the last few yrs, and now their service is excelllent (at par or better than Jet/Kingfisher) and the new a/c's (321's and newer 319) have PTVs in both J and Y and I prefer them over Kingfisher (because many times the channels on Kingfisher's live TV don't work.)

The problem with both comes on the ground with AI (IC is quite ok on ground). If there is a delay, then they are hopeless.
Their joining *A is actually good, because they provide the best connectivity in India and fly to many remote cities/towns. And as they would have to synchronize their booking engine and flights to offer connections with other *A airliners, their website might finally improve and they might start thinking of discarding the older a/c which have snags occasionally and manage delays better.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/..._10070496.html

...Cairo, July 11 (IANS) Air India�s integration with Star Alliance may take longer than earlier expected because of the internal dynamics and changing profile of the carrier, top officials of the 21-member interline organisation said Friday. �Air India is going through its own restructuring - its integration with Indian Airlines. So the process is much more complicated and challenging,� said Marcus Puffer, director for networking and marketing development with Star Alliance....

Have there been any recent updates on when AI will join? March 2009 doesn't seem like it is on the books anymore.

Not that long ago I had heard rumoured May/Jun 09 for accession - I am trying to see if I can find the link for the article - IIRC the major reason quoted for the slippage from the Mar 09 target was supposedly the fact that AI/IC have completely separate res systems and the new combined res system is supposed to be up and running in/around May .

As with anything to do with AI this is of course subject to change - during my ( so far unsuccessful ) search for the article I refer to I found another article still holding out the possibility of meeting the Mar 09 target ( I am a bit skeptical about this )

http://www.financialexpress.com/news...ade-IT/393580/

I will keep looking for the other article and will post a link if I find it