Star Alliance in Australia

7 replies

Yanni

Aegean Airlines - Miles & Bonus

Member since 15 Jun 2016

Total posts 49

Star Alliance in Australia

Yanni

Aegean Airlines - Miles & Bonus

Member since 15 Jun 2016

Total posts 49

There are obviously many *A members flying into Australia from overseas, but does anyone know if there are any plans for Virgin Australia to join *A. An AusBT article late last year suggested that *A are very interested in Virgin joining - any chance or wishful thinking?

aldrigsomandre

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 31 Aug 2015

Total posts 86

With that ownership structure? We're lucky Virgin still exists.

David

Member since 24 Oct 2010

Total posts 1,016

An often-asked question, as many people appear to wish for Virgin Australia to join Star Alliance, but there are no such plans.

smit0847

Member since 30 Aug 2013

Total posts 148

The VA CEO has repeatedly said it doesnt make any sense for VA to join any global alliance because then they would get stuck with some partners they dont want, whereas their 'virtual alliance' allows them to only choose the partners they want. EK and EY have given the same reason for not joining a global alliance.

The CEO did drop a bit of a bomb by saying that if VA were to join an alliance (which they are not), it would more likely be SkyTeam than Star, which I think made a lot of people shudder but I dont think VA will join either.

RaptorNation158

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 21 Aug 2014

Total posts 186

I am guessing Etihad and Delta are major players in not letting VA join Star Alliance, I'm not sure what stances of SQ and ANZ are on the topic though.

David

Member since 24 Oct 2010

Total posts 1,016

I get the feeling it's not at all about airlines 'telling' VA it can't join Star Alliance, long before the current board complexity John Borghetti had maintained that joining an alliance was well down his to-do list and also cited issues noted by Smit0847 above... it's really that right now, from what we know, Virgin just doesn't see the need to join an alliance. I think if the benefits were as obvious as some would wish, then Virgin would have signed up to one in a shot.

moa999

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 02 Jul 2011

Total posts 835

Virgin is a defacto member of both alliances by virtue of Qantas being in oneworld, and has codeshares and arrangements (and indeed ownership by) airlines in both Star and Skyteam.

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