Originally Posted by
Robertkc
EI have one advantage over all the US carriers - they're a OneWorld partner with American, and the two together can feed traffic to each others short-haul networks on their respective sides of the Atlantic.
Actually EI are no longer a
oneworld member. From April(I think, maybe a month or two out, correct me if Im wrong) They will still retain a code-share realtionship with many of the carriers in
oneworld, but a formal member EI no longer is.
If EI wants to grow, they should look seriously at aquiring the A346s that EK has apparently cancelled. Buy em cheap, and the economics might be OK, especially as interim lift while they wait for the XWB. There might be payoad issues out of DUB tho? At any rate there are at least 10 free slots comming available on the 330/340 line. They would do quite nicely as medium-term lift until the next gerneration is available, and they should be going for a song.
As for the american carriers, I personally dont see them as huge threat, let us remember that EI has a cost base which can successfully fend off FR. Although the Americans have more compeditive costs these days, I seriously doubt their costs come within an asses roar of EI's. The only problem with EIs long haul network is its relatively limited scope, especially eastwards. (oh ya, PTVs as well!)