Aer Lingus to leave oneworld

[Keith T 2]

Quite predictable after the Irish flag carrier's rebranding as a virtual LCC.

 

http://www.oneworld.com/pressroom/releases...m?ObjectID=7471

 

It will probably not affect oneworld that much when you consider that EI is one of the smallest carriers in the alliance, and indeed the world, in the scheme of things. Natural attrition is the key here as EI is no longer able to provide many of the services that oneworld promises. Indeed, after its revival from near collapse, the carrier's sole purpose has been to feed its own pax wanting to avoid EI's shoddy product for transatlantic hops to BA's services at LHR. With the retention of existing bilateral links, BA will still be able to get feeds from EI, which are quite substantial, without having to realign its service to DUB from LGW to LHR. Other than those feeds, EI was more of a liability in oneworld which should've been forcibly gotten rid of much sooner.

 

Or BA might not need those feeds after all as it does not take much to start some DUB services from LHR. Problem is BA's services between London and Dublin are operated by a franchisee of BA's and any realignment might involve tricky negotiations as those LHR slots are expensive... or risk screwing over the franchisee by duplicating services, ie restarting BA's own services to DUB from LHR in competition with the franchise operations from LGW. But a bit of creativity in timetabling could see the 2 complementing each other and provide strong competition to EI and FR.In any case, the London to Dublin route is surprisingly one of the busiest air routes in the world and its not surprising EI seems desperate to sign off on bilateral deals before saying adios.

 

Whereas the rest of us oneworld supporters/admirers look more keenly towards the full integration of Japan Airlines, Malev and Royal Jordanian - airlines that will actually add value to the alliance strategically.

 

Now if only *A will dump bmi for the far superior Virgin Atlantic... Maybe codeshare with Virgin trains for domestic UK services.

 

Note also from the oneworld release:"

Talks are progressing between oneworld and other airlines interested in joining.

Yours truly is enthusiastically anticipating the outcome of these talks... Edited May 30, 2006 by Keith T

[Azuddin 1]

i actually agree with this. Aer lingus has to many competition in europe. even one of my friend from dublin travel to US on BA from dublin

 

Aer lingus also not giving big benefit to OW

 

Azuddin

[Keith T 2]

even one of my friend from dublin travel to US on BA from dublin

 

Azuddin

 

That's very very common. I notice a lot of pax boarding BA flights with Aer Lingus boarding passes, meaning they were checked in straight-through from Dublin and only using Aer Lingus as a connector to BA flights.

 

And unless it's an unbelievably cheap fare (in my case you couldn't pay me enough to fly Aer Lingus long haul; but complimentary lifetime oneworld emerald status could sway me), one would have to be crazy to suffer at the hands of Aer Lingus all the way across the atlantic. Even AA, who also serves DUB, is marginally better and that's not a usual achievement for a North American carrier.

Edited May 30, 2006 by Keith T

[Pieter C. 5]

Quite predictable after the Irish flag carrier's rebranding as a virtual LCC.

 

Wonder what will this do to the code-share agreement with KLM on the AMS-DUB and AMS-ORK routes, operated by EI; don't think, they (=KL/AF) want to be associated with a LCC...sooner or later, I believe (but this is a wild guess), they will start flying these routes by themselves (KLM or KLC) or have them operated by CityJet, currently operating on behalf of AF...

 

Just, wait-n-see, I suppose

[Keith T 2]

Wonder what will this do to the code-share agreement with KLM on the AMS-DUB and AMS-ORK routes, operated by EI; don't think, they (=KL/AF) want to be associated with a LCC...sooner or later, I believe (but this is a wild guess), they will start flying these routes by themselves (KLM or KLC) or have them operated by CityJet, currently operating on behalf of AF...

 

Just, wait-n-see, I suppose

 

That's similar to BA's problem on the LHR-DUB front. BA only flies LGW-DUB in its own right, and even then those are operated by a franchise.

 

EI seems quite determined to hang on to those codeshare deals. I guess we'll have to wait till the contracts expire to see what happens.

 

Lots of people are viewing this as the spring cleaning of the alliance. EI was once a very high quality carrier but Sept 11 put it out of whack. I hope Willy Walsh doesn't apply the same cost-cutting tactics to BA now he's running that airline. It'd be dreadful if BA goes the EI way, but I'm hopeful that BA Connect is as far as he'd go.

 

Japan Airlines, Malev and Royal Jordanian are slated to join ow fully by 2007. There's also lots of speculation that China Eastern, Hainan Airlines, Ethopian Air and Jet Airways are in the next line-up of recruits. Very dreary choices with the exception of Jet Airways, but yet airlines they can't do without - I can't think of a single high quality Chinese airline (high quality on an international level that is) and SAA is already with *A. Above all, I'm glad that the powers to be in ow have realised the importance of expansion and lost their protectionist attitudes.

 

Game on.

Edited May 30, 2006 by Keith T

[Pieter C. 5]

Japan Airlines, Malev and Royal Jordanian are slated to join ow fully by 2007.

 

KLM just announced today, it concluded lot's of code-share flights both with China Southern and Sechuan Airlines both from PEK/PVG and CTU, respectively; it also made clear in a statement, CZ will only join Skyteam now 'in 2007' and not in October 2006, as previously mentioned

[Seth K 3]

Afterall, EI pullout not going to effect the OnWorld system. Just for curiosity, isn't EI showed interest to fly to KUL?

[Keith T 2]

KLM just announced today, it concluded lot's of code-share flights both with China Southern and Sechuan Airlines both from PEK/PVG and CTU, respectively; it also made clear in a statement, CZ will only join Skyteam now 'in 2007' and not in October 2006, as previously mentioned

 

Taking a long time to align CZ's systems to be compatible with the rest of the alliance I suppose. But hurry up already as it's been like what... 2 years since CZ was announced as a candidate member?

 

 

[Keith T 2]

Afterall, EI pullout not going to effect the OnWorld system. Just for curiosity, isn't EI showed interest to fly to KUL?

 

This article seems to reinforce that interest.

 

In another year or two, there could be new Aer Lingus routes to Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and maybe even as far afield as China to Shanghai or Beijing - Aer Lingus has two long-haul aircraft on order.

 

This is quite in-line with EI's pull out from oneworld as they will be effectively in competition with BA to the Far East. People would also no longer have to transit in hubs of its codeshare partners like LHR or AMS on their way to Ireland.