Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1303962)

. The other thing is the amount of passengers this will funnel into Domestic US flights. Something that this forum never even considers on codeshares yet is very important.

Originally Posted by FrankCobretti (Post 1304019)

Gents, neither my thread-search nor PWA-search fu is up to snuff. Would one of you mind helping me out and showing me where I can find out what I need to know about jury duty (like, whether DAL pays me and how much)?

Originally Posted by Timbo (Post 1303277)

OK, so let's talk about FSU vs. GT!

My wife's a Nole, she won't even watch it!

She hates the Jimbo....

Originally Posted by tsquare (Post 1304030)

We'll take him :)

Originally Posted by Aviation Planning HotFlash

Delta - Virgin Atlantic
Harbinger of Alliance Decline?

The potential acquisition of Virgin Atlantic by Delta may well set off a chain of events within the airline alliance world that will resemble a gigantic rugby scrum gone trans-Atlantic.

On first pass, it would appear that it would give SkyTeam an enormous leap at the British Airways/oneworld dominance of LHR. Add all the SkyTeam slots, including the Virgin Atlantic access, and SkyTeam will have 650 slots. A pittance to the BA 4,900, but still enough to be in a strong second place.

But appearances are not always what is real. In this case, Delta may be planning for a future that most folks aren't expecting - at least not yet. And that's the collapse, or near-collapse, of the we're-all-one-happy-family alliance system.

Two years ago, it appeared that alliances and JV's would be the order of the future. It looked like pooling of metal and capacity under the alliance brand was inevitable. That's sure how it appeared.

But things have changed. Alliances are not the Good Ship Lollypop, anymore - if indeed they ever were. The individual members are not all one big beer-drinking fraternity. They are now starting to fight over turf . The oneworld Alliance is in real difficulty - no real Chinese partner, and some promiscuity among some of the members - such as Qantas. Star Alliance is starting to see territory-squabbles - such as the Lufthansa-Turkish issue. Both are chasing much of the same feed. SkyTeam? There's heartburn, likely over major North America -Asia/EU flows between members.

Delta, gaining an additional 304 LHR slots (less whatever the EU would invariably force them to give up) will make DL a lot less vulnerable to any diminution in the cooperation within the SkyTeam Alliance. It would also put them at an advantage over AA at LHR, at least in regard to US-UK flows. A brilliant, futurist move.

It's no certainty that Delta will pull off a deal with Virgin Atlantic. What is certain, however, is the Alliance system we saw as recently as two years ago has changed. Whether it continues in that direction or not, Delta apparently is looking over the horizon.

These changes could come with a bang, or maybe just evolve over time. One thing is now certain: the alliance system isn't as ironclad as it once appeared.

This is just the start of carriers playing more musical chairs - and some may not want to play at all. The pecking order in the herds is going to change.

Give it 30 days. We may see some other fun in the alliance system.

Originally Posted by Timbo (Post 1304037)

The Holtz kid is looking for work, how about him?

Originally Posted by nwaf16dude (Post 1304060)

49% of VA cost Singapore about $960,000,000 in 2000 (at current exchange rates)