A Theory to talk about.....
 

Over the past few years I have been playing with a notion that there is a way to create a virtual airline where airlines like DAL, AMR and UAUA become third party operators like our regional lift. It goes like this:

It seems to have started with all of these Open Skies Accords which in effect get rid of cabatoge. (Will allow an airline from outside of that countries borders to operate point to point within another country) As we the US and other nations all sign on to this notion we have effective opened a door that many cannot see today.

What happens is airlines like AF and DAL become a operator under contract with Skyteam Airlines providing lift for the skyteam code. Most say, "yeah, what is the point, we basically do that now?"
Well the point is that as a Skyteam airlines becomes an airline that has all of its money spent to the third party operators and those airlines pay the taxes to said countries the countries and their governments will not complain. It sells tickets on its code and we operate for it.

The next step in very important"
As these Fee for Departure contracts expire airlines like ASA, Republic do not renew with Delta, they sign a contract like DAL's with skyteam providing lift for the Skyteam ticket code. This in effect nullifies our Section one as the are not flying for Delta and now for skyteam the same airline DAL is under contract to fly for.

In the end it means that republic or the like can fly whatever skyteam wants them to fly with no regard to our section one. AF can fly our 777 routes, with no regard to the JV as the flying is now Skyteam's and not each airlines. As all airlines now can fly point to point in any country the airline can be incorporated where unions are illegal and the new entity cannot be hampered with collective agreements. It allows our worst fears and by my read would be totally unstoppable with current wording in most PWA's.

I bet that the government will look the other way as long as the tax money shows up and it is done under the auspice of lower prices for the consumer.

I am not posting this in reference to anything nor an event. It is just one of the many ways I can see much of the remaining quality of this career being killed and done so under most of the current rules. The only thing that needs to be done is open skies accords with all countries. I guess if a few countries do not agree to Open Skies or the like could just JV with their airlines and work around that as well.

Thoughts????

Many I have talked to see this as quite plausible.

:Shudder:

It wouldn't suprise me if they tried it. Ugh

It already is happening. Look at Midwest... and hopefully not, but soon Frontier.

It seems the end result, as you mentioned is going to be these worldwide networks (Star, SkyTeam, etc) will become the airline. Today's majors will simply become contract lift just like their regionals. Planes won't be painted as United, US Air, or American but SkyTeam, Star, and OneWorld and the company logo is just a footnote somewhere in small print by the door. Contracts will be awarded to the lowest bidder and the whole thing will just be like the regional world today but on a worldwide scale. Worked great for the regionals, so why not the whole system?

Nice avatar, iPilot! I love me some Compy 386.


On topic: This future concerns me greatly, which is why I'm glad seeing DALPA at least putting some sort of effort into ensuring what amount of flying we are getting from the JVs. It would not surprise me at all if all the aircraft later on are painted like the skyteam special paint scheme planes we have now.

I give it a decade...

ACL,

Your potential for airline management knows no bounds!

Exactly, which begs the question: How can they continue to use the YX code when the Midwest certificate has been turned in?

"Skyteam" is a joint entity designed to serve member airlines. If it were to take a life of its' own, then these airlines would lose control. Shareholders in these airlines probably are not agreeable to having their airline subject to the whims of a contract with "Skyteam". And I don't see how you can create a mechanism to give the owners of DAL/AF-KLMetc. shares of "Skyteam" instead, because I don't see a way of getting around the resulting thorny merger issues, from a contractual and regulatory standpoint.

Either Skyteam is the tail, a marketing tool to enhance the revenues of member airlines, or it becomes the head, which implies a whole lot of complicated restructuring, IMO.

Never mind the fact that regulators like to have airlines serve at their pleasure, and have great difficulties approving ATI applications for a few carriers. I don't think they would let a Skyteam jugernaut exist, with he ability to control contract carriers at will.

Right now, I don't see it.

Cute, not really :p

Teh YX code nor any other code is attached to a certificate. It is attached to a marketing plan.

Very good question. I would like to ask the DOT / DOJ.

But, I think it is because of a "codeshare." The flight is operated by Rah but codeshare as YX.

BB running a virtual airline. Absolutely Horrible.