NewK,

I agree that there is no way JAL would even be contemplating a JV/switch to SkyTeam without the merger of DAL and NWA. However, I do believe that Delta and Air France were the major two founding members of the SkyTeam Alliance. I don't think there was any invitation involved. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Denny

You are correct, Denny.

NW I believe joined after the AF/KLM merger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if they furlough, they have to remove 6 seats from the offending 26 jets, not park them - yes? Diddo for the 153 if they get to a 9/01 hire.

I don't know what Delta is planning for the FC on the soon-to-be-modified 70 seaters, (or AMR for that matter - they're doing something similar,) but UAL operates their "70" seaters with 66 seats. I think its 6/60, but not 100% sure on that.

I'm pretty sure NW/KLM was before DAL/AF

Cheers
George

Denny,

You got me. That's my Friday night cognac speaking. (Leon and 80 should be proud). :D

I think the NWA/KLM/ CAL/AF/DAL thing isjust too complicated with courvoisier. :D

That is correct.

6 seats from 26 jets once the day the first guy hits the street, and then 6 seats from the rest of the 76 seat fleet permanently once the first sept 2001 hire hits the street. I believe that is around 500 up the list.

# 2000 — Aeroméxico, Air France, Delta Air Lines, and Korean Air launched the SkyTeam alliance on 22 June.
# 2001 — CSA Czech Airlines (in March) and Alitalia (on 27 July) joined.
# 2003 - Delta's subsidiary Delta Express was replaced by Song.
# 2004 — Continental Airlines, KLM and Northwest Airlines joined on 13 September. Their simultaneous entry was the largest expansion event in airline alliance history. As a result of the three new members, SkyTeam passed Oneworld to become the second largest alliance.

Geeze, I had to go to Wikipedia to remember what our codeshare was called with KLM. Wings.

(Wikipedia) Also in 1993, Northwest began its strategic alliance with KLM, which was the largest airline partnership ever conceived at the time. This partnership eventually became the Wings Alliance. However, the alliance never grew beyond the two airlines, and is now obsolete from a passenger's perspective, because both airlines are part of the larger SkyTeam Alliance. (From a legal perspective, the Northwest/KLM alliance remains important: it has antitrust immunity, whereas the broader SkyTeam alliance merely has code-sharing privileges.)

here we go

1989 NW/KLM

2000 AMX/AF/DAL/KAL launched the SkyTeam

2004 AF/KLM Merger and NW/KLM join SkyTeam

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NewK ya beat me to it ;-)
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Cheers
George

newKnow is doin' real good, he's got his glass of courvoisier right here!