Article: The Next Airlines to Join Oneworld, SkyTeam & Star Alliance

[AFF Editor]

The Next Airlines to Join Oneworld, SkyTeam & Star Alliance is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

The Next Airlines to Join Oneworld, SkyTeam & Star Alliance

Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam will each soon get new members. But SAS, Czech Airlines and ITA Airways are leaving their current alliances.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[Berlin]

One World really needs one of the Chinese mainland airlines as a member. I know that Cathay are blocking this but I’ve seen rumours of CX being swallowed by Air China sooner or later. We will see what the future brings.

 

[AusEuro traveller]

Virgin joining Star would be great. I use my Platinum Virgin status to access Singapore lounges and next year Etihad’s FC lounge in AD. But there are lots of Star Alliance carriers Virgin doesn’t have an agreement with. They should bite the bullet and just join.

 

[VPS]

Virgin joining Star would be great. I use my Platinum Virgin status to access Singapore lounges and next year Etihad’s FC lounge in AD. But there are lots of Star Alliance carriers Virgin doesn’t have an agreement with. They should bite the bullet and just join.

and welcome to AFF - two years for your first post

 

[HS-TQE]

Virgin joining Star would be great. I use my Platinum Virgin status to access Singapore lounges and next year Etihad’s FC lounge in AD. But there are lots of Star Alliance carriers Virgin doesn’t have an agreement with. They should bite the bullet and just join.

It does cost money to apply and join, and whilst Virgin is under Private Equity ownership, it's unlikely they'll be applying to join anytime soon until Bain starts to sell down their stake.

If the speculation of Qatar Airways does end up taking a stake in Virgin does eventuate however, it's likely QR will keep VA outside of the Alliance space (QR can't really bring VA into Oneworld even if they did want to because of their local rivals and QR's 'sworn internal alliance enemies' at QF).

 

[moa999]

One World really needs one of the Chinese mainland airlines as a member. I know that Cathay are blocking this but I’ve seen rumours of CX being swallowed by Air China sooner or later. We will see what the future brings.

There's a weird cross-ownership between Air China (Star) and Cathay (oneworld). At one point they will likely end up in the same place and China Southern (who left Skyteam) will end up in the other.

While losing Cathay would be a big loss for oneworld, adding China Southern and say Starlux (Taiwan) wouldn't be a bad replacement.

As for Virgin, while Qantas is in oneworld it's arguably better for Virgin to stay unaligned and make relationships with the airlines that fly to Aus from both the other alliances (and Qatar thanks to Qantas - Emirates partnership)

 

[Melburnian1]

While losing Cathay would be a big loss for oneworld, adding China Southern and say Starlux (Taiwan) wouldn't be a bad replacement.

The communist Chinese would surely be opposed to any 'recognition' or 'colleague status' of a Taiwanese airline, even though Taiwan is a separate nation (and a very successful, technologically advanced democracy at that, something that must daily rankle the CCP with the latter's numerous economic problems).

 

[moa999]

The communist Chinese would surely be opposed to any 'recognition' or 'colleague status' of a Taiwanese airline

And yet Chinese member airlines had no issues with China Airlines and Eva joining Skyteam and Star Alliance.