Nonsense, if anything this helps BA as they can now do a tie up with Klm. It is about time the EU took responsibility, the US has been bullying individual countries into agreements that suits only the US, while leaving in place trade barriers that allows their airlines a significant comparative advantage. The only reasons these bilateral agreements existed in the first place was to protect the contribution to the national infrastucture that airlines make. The US makes lot's of noises about free trade, but when push comes to shove either the Unions or big business protect their own and as they buy the president the buy the policy, only if European countries negotiate as one will they be bringing a big stick to the negotiating table with them. Ps. I am not slagging the US simply stating that as long as they have the whip hand they are going to use it.