Lindy field From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 3072 posts, RR: 15 Posted (11 years 4 months 1 week ago) and read 1029 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
There's been some discussion here about LOT's future in the wake of Swissair's collapse. Here's a short article that came out today in the Warsaw Voice's business section on the future of LOT. It looks like Star Alliance may soon cement their dominance of Central/Northern Europe by trying to add LOT and Finnair to the fold. See thread on Finnair for further details.
Whole LOTta Love
The German national carrier Lufthansa has stated that it is interested in cooperating with LOT Polish Airlines. It's also likely that LOT will join the Star Alliance airline group, in which Lufthansa plays a leading role.
LOT is currently a member of the Qualiflyer airline group, a Star Alliance competitor. Swissair, one of the leading airlines in the Qualiflyer alliance, is a strategic investor in LOT. However, due to the collapse of the Swissair Group, the Qualiflyer alliance is likely to be dissolved and Swissair's LOT holdings sold off.
Juergen Weber, president of Lufthansa, met with Treasury Minister Wiesław Kaczmarek Dec. 19. According to Treasury Ministry Spokesperson Beata Jarosz, Weber showed strong interest in LOT joining the Star Alliance. Kaczmarek emphasized the fact that he appreciates Lufthansa's will to initiate close cooperation between LOT and the members of Star Alliance. Prime Minister Leszek Miller will have the final say in the matter, and is expected to make a decision in late February, after reviewing an analysis of LOT's profitability.
Lufthansa has officially confirmed that talks with LOT over possible cooperation are in progress. But the airline also denied that during his visit to Warsaw, Weber had made proposals regarding LOT's participation in Star Alliance. Moreover, Lufthansa stated that it is not interested in buying all of LOT's stock.
LOT767-300ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week ago) and read 978 times:
I will do the whole rosary if LOT joins STAR Alliance damn it! I really dislike Qualiflyer, and STAR could teach LOT a few things (Like how to fly on time). I will freaking cry and pray all day if LOT joins STAR. Please let it be! Oh please.......
Slawko From Canada, joined May 1999, 3799 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week ago) and read 954 times:
Austrian has Eastern Europe covered much better then LOT. I would say that they would be more of an asset to One World, They have stong ties with AA and BA, and ONE WOrld is lacking in the eastern Europe department.
"Clive Beddoe says he favours competition, but his actions do not support that idea." Robert Milton - CEO Air Canada
LOT767-300ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week ago) and read 954 times:
LOT is tied to the Qualiflyer group, not much so with BA and Oneworld. Although that is suspicious because it seems that alot of codeshares are with oneworld partners. For at ORD, LOT codeshares on these flights with AA.
ORD-
PHX
LAX
MIA
SEA
SFO
MSP
DEN
However LOT isnt financially tied to oneworld as far as i know. GOD PLEASE JOIN STAR!
Twa902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3048 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 922 times:
Well it would make sense the have a
Chicago-Warsaw
Chicago-Krakow (sp?) route
so all that feed from UA would help. Plus Chicago is already the second biggest Polish city in the world after Warsaw (that's right bigger than any city in Poland except for Warsaw, that is highest Population of Polaks)
twa902
life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on
Lindy field From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 3072 posts, RR: 15 Reply 9, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 918 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
This is interesting: Air Transport World Online has published the following short paragraph in the last two hours:
British Airways and LOT are discussing the possibility that the struggling Polish carrier may join oneworld, according to the Polish treasury ministry. The subject of the talks between the airlines "was closer cooperation proposed by the British side," the ministry said in a statement. BA declined to comment. "That's a matter for oneworld," a spokesperson said, adding that the talks were about extending codesharing to the London-Birmingham route.
It looks like BA and Lufthansa may have a struggle on their hands for LOT, which, though struggling, offers a lot of potential for future development in central/eastern Europe.
B737-700 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 911 times:
Now just a question, what does STAR need LOT for ?
STAR covers so much of Europe and there are so many European airlines in already, so why again a European airline ?
Does this make any sense ?
Airblue From San Marino, joined May 2001, 1825 posts, RR: 14 Reply 12, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 892 times:
STAR covers Eastern Europe very well from every hubs (FRA, MUC, CPH, ARN and VIE).
Also from Vienna thanks to OS they have enought room to improve the number of service to every Eastern Europe destinations without adding new carriers to the alliance.
In Europe STAR needs only a new member from Western part (Spanair, off course).
I think LOT could have more advantage with BA & Oneworld.
BBADXB From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 859 times:
Not again!
I think that at this rate STAR is nearing its saturation point in Europe [where I think it is already too big] (& possibly even in Asia). I think that LOT belongs to oneworld and it'll also be good for competition's sake.
Swake From Belgium, joined Jan 2001, 231 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 823 times:
Forget about route diversification. LH and OS fly to many more Eastern European cities than LO. Acquiring a dominant position in the Polish market for intercontinental flights is what LH is interested in. Poland has a rapidly growing economy of nearly 40m customers and LH wouldn't be glad to see them drained to oneworld which indeed lacks a strong Eastern European partner
Gdabski From Poland, joined Oct 2001, 423 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (11 years 4 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 807 times:
I completely agree with Airblue and BBADXB. Star Alliance has enough European hubs. Lufthansa and Star Alliance want to claim a dominant position in the Polish market for intercontinental flights and also for European flights out of the regional airports like Krakow, Gdansk and Poznan. It would be better for LOT to tie with BA and OneWorld IMHO.
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