Srilankan Enters Interline Partnership with VA

[jrfsp]

UL is partnering with VA for its MEL and SYD flights - obviously QF was playing hardball even though both oneworld

[Mod Hat]
Some members have reported that their installed monitoring/protection tools have flagged the following link as a potential phishing risk. This may have resulted form a linked ad or historic blacklisting by some security protection systems. Perhaps consider opening in a private window of available to you. Content itself appears ok.
[/Mod hat]

SriLankan Airlines partners with Virgin Australia and expands in Australia

SriLankan Airlines has entered into a first-ever interline partnership with Virgin Australia that will strengthen the airline’s network in Australia and offer customers extensive connections across the land down under and beyond. The new partnership reaffirms SriLankan’s commitment to Australia

colombogazette.com

 

[stm1sydney]

More great news for VA customers!

And what an indictment of Qantas that Oneworld airlines (therefore allied with QF) are queuing up to partner with VA.

 

[RooFlyer]

UL is partnering with VA for its MEL and SYD flights - obviously QF was playing hardball even though both oneworld

SriLankan Airlines partners with Virgin Australia and expands in Australia

SriLankan Airlines has entered into a first-ever interline partnership with Virgin Australia that will strengthen the airline’s network in Australia and offer customers extensive connections across the land down under and beyond. The new partnership reaffirms SriLankan’s commitment to Australia

colombogazette.com

NOTE: I got a 'malicious content' warning from Kaspersky when I clicked on this link.
_____________

Its a shame VA partnered with United - a partnership with AA would have been great!

 

[jase05]

More great news for VA customers!

And what an indictment of Qantas that Oneworld airlines (therefore allied with QF) are queuing up to partner with VA.

Only announced as an interline partner haven’t they?

 

[Saab34]

I thought UL was on the brink of collapse?

 

[jase05]

I thought UL was on the brink of collapse?

Government is propping them up but looking to privatise them.
Perhaps EK will buy them out

 

[SeatBackForward]

Soon OneWorld will be meaningless.

 

[jakeseven7]

UL is partnering with VA for its MEL and SYD flights - obviously QF was playing hardball even though both oneworld

SriLankan Airlines partners with Virgin Australia and expands in Australia

SriLankan Airlines has entered into a first-ever interline partnership with Virgin Australia that will strengthen the airline’s network in Australia and offer customers extensive connections across the land down under and beyond. The new partnership reaffirms SriLankan’s commitment to Australia

colombogazette.com

But this is just interlining right? Pretty much every airline does this with almost everyone - even traditional ‘enemy’ airlines.

 

[NM]

NOTE: I got a 'malicious content' warning from Kaspersky when I clicked on this link.
_____________

Its a shame VA partnered with United - a partnership with AA would have been great!

Possibly results from a linked ad? The page itself and content appears fine, but suggest anyone opening to take care such as opening in a private window if your browser supports. I will add a warning in the OP.

 

[JessicaTam]

Soon OneWorld will be meaningless.

VA-World?

 

[klymen]

Another source for the story: SriLankan Airlines partners with Virgin Australia - DailyNews

Looks to be interlining only, but while it would be much much better if there were some FF benefits, this is still good, since QF has a habit of cancelling the onward domestic, leaving pax languishing in MEL for extra long...

 

[williamsf1]

Unsure if it is anything to get excited about .... It is only Interline .... NO FF Benifits .. No codeshare .... Just like UA and QF have interline..

UL will still codeshare on QF to select domestic ... and even provide Interline to non codeshare O/D ...

 

[antycbr]

Given ULs finances I’m happy that VA aren’t dumping SQ for UL…

 

[clifford]

Its a shame VA partnered with United - a partnership with AA would have been great!

Speak for yourself! I'm a UA Plat, so I find it very handy with award booking connections in Aust (eg CBR-SYD-LAX)..

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Could VA join OW though, seriously, even though everyone says no.

 

[Himeno]

Could VA join OW though, seriously, even though everyone says no.

The ACCC are highly unlikely to allow both VA and QF to be in the same alliance.

 

[Steven of Mysore]

And it's extremely unlikely VA would want to be in the same alliance as QF. It would hardly be a 'point of difference'.

 

[serfty]

I think the terminology used is causing confusion.

It seems to me this Partnership relates to being able to book UL/VA connections with the one fare where previously they needed to be separate fares (albeit they could be on the one PNR).

Maybe something lost in translation from Sinhala.

 

[RooFlyer]

The ACCC are highly unlikely to allow both VA and QF to be in the same alliance.

That’s an interesting point to consider (I'm not arguing the contrary ).

Say VA did apply for OW membership and QF nor anyone else objected (unlikely!) - I guess the ACCC would then look at the benefits and negatives for the Australian travelling public. A benefit would be better competition between out 2 major carriers - one then couldn't rely on a global tie-up as a point of differentiation, so would have to compete stronger on other factors, such as price. A negative - it would probably result in greater alignment of schedules, as they would both be trying to make the same connections with alliance airlines overseas. But then it might be argued that again, differentiation would have to be made, such as price.#

In respect of 'alliances' and 'partnerships', looking more broadly than this one, there can be a gradation in the level of services and benefits offered in a partnership.

I guess in theory, it may be possible for VA/UA to offer almost the same benefits in a 'partnership' as in a full OW alliance membership, if they pay other airlines, for lounge and other reciprocal benefits (and the others in OW agree, which I guess would be very unlikely). So would ACCC get involved? I guess they would reserve the right to, if 'someone' complained.

An interesting topic, I think.

# I remember the old 'two airline agreement', when Ansett and TAA would take off within 5 mins of each other, at virtually the same price.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Maybe something lost in translation from Sinhalese.

Its Sinhala.
Singhalese, is the peoples of Sri Lanka, or Lanka as its said informally.
"Kohormader".
===
Look at VA and QR now.
Or even QR using BA's Avios.
Or RBA (Royal Brunei) having an interline with both QF and VA.