Qantas/Emirates tie up in news again

[Jon Harris]

Looks like FRA will get the chop and leaving only LHR.

http://www.airlinehubbuzz.com/qantas...ains-momentum/

and

http://afr.com/p/national/qantas_for...7oRkwZIgeI6VQJ

doesn't look so good for QF.

[George G]

In my opinion, Qantas has more to gain through this deal than Emirates does.

Hopefully Qantas starts improving customer service if this goes ahead.

[Jim M]

Don't really know what to make of this yet
If some of the LHR flights route through Dubai, and with the cancellation of the services to FRA, one would think that QF would have to up the ante of flights to SIN in some other way,such as it becoming a destination in its own right,I guess.

This will all be very interesting space to keep an eye on

Jim

[Rowan McKeever]

I agree George... there doesn't seem to be much, if anything, in this for EK. I would've thought they'd rather continue their own expansion of services to Australia than do so through the use of QF's metal. Likewise I can't see why EK would want to have QF on DXB-LON when it already has its own extensive LON network.

If this did go ahead do people see scope for BA to scale down its LON-DXB flying in favour of putting a codeshare on the prospective QF service?

[Bernie P]

Originally Posted by Rowan McKeever

If this did go ahead do people see scope for BA to scale down its LON-DXB flying in favour of putting a codeshare on the prospective QF service?

OR, they could scale it up, and then take on those QF pax on their metal as opposed to the EK metal, in much the same way as they are doing now through both SIN and HKG?

Personally, I think it could be good for both, a wider scope for QF to access Europe, and for EK to have a domestic 'network' within Australia. Not to mention, EK having access to the QF FF program as well...

Interesting times ahead...

[Dave Dale]

Could this mean a new order for more planes at at Qantas, the 747-8I or 777 perhaps? (I am not intending to revive old arguments for either plane, just a question of possible expansion of aircraft).

Dave

[Joe Frampton]

I don't get it. Why would I fly on Qantas to Dubai to connect on Emirates to Europe, when I can fly on Emirates to Dubai to connect on Emirates to Europe? Seems like Qantas is just gonna become a regional carrier. If that's the only way to survive then fair enough I suppose.

[Thomas Collins]

Originally Posted by Rowan

there doesn't seem to be much, if anything, in this for EK

You have not thought about the domestic feed this provides to EK.

Qantas will funnel customers that may have travelled on Qantas then switched to other carriers e.g. Etihad, Qatar, Singapore Airlines etc.

Qantas may operate their own metal to DXB and EK removes theirs, or they'll operate in conjunction, much like Qantas and British Airways on the JSA.

This will be a fantastic opportunity to offer Qantas customers 1 x stop into Europe. Something not previously available due mostly to bilateral constraints e.g. Qantas was ever only allowed 3 x services per week to Paris ex SIN, yet AF and SQ could operate to their hearts content.

I truly hope this goes through - for Qantas's sake. Geographically, Qantas suffers being and end-of-the-line carrier - in addition to the lack of hub and spoke advantages other carriers enjoy... I could go on.

[Rowan McKeever]

Bernie & Thomas, you're right in that I hadn't thought of domestic Aussie feed for EK, but that's already happening by interline isn't it?

If I were Tim Clark (which I'm not) there'd have to be one hell of a carrot dangled in front of me to entice me to withdraw some of my own capacity from what (I read somewhere today) is my third biggest market...

[Ash W]

Maybe that carrot is access to the US, something that Emirates has always wanted.