Lufthansa merger

[no, no, no]

LH chief stated on Sunday that they would not rule out a merger with an airline, like the BA/Swiss and KL/AF mergers. But who is left that they could merge with?

They already have very strong links with SAS and bmi that would struggle to be strengthened further just by merging?

Alitalia are in bed with AF/KL, Iberia/Finnair/Aer Lingus with BA, and the Eastern European airlines like LOT aren't really big enough to make an impact. TAP are the only ones left but again they really aren't a big enough player!

The only option is really a merger with someone outside of Europe, but again in this day and age - who? UA are in too much trouble and the Far East carriers generally like taking care of themselves!!!!!

Don't know if anyone has any views? :confused:

[WHBM]

no, no, no

Given the low level of ability of many financial journalists, they seem to have decided that airline mergers are the flavour of the month, because there have been a couple, and being journalists they actually believe what those involved have written about these in their press releases.

So LH have to appear to be in tune with this sentiment, and if they did not say so run the risk of having articles published saying they are "non-responsive", etc.

So they haven't ruled it out. Equally they haven't ruled it in. Who would fit in with them ? Austrian maybe (or maybe not), and that would be it. They probably find that Star Alliance works better for them than shelling out hard cash. And they would run the risk of comparisons with the last time that Austrian were "merged" with Lufthansa, in 1938 !

[Robert Vesco]

Maybe Lufthansa will ´merge´ with the leftover pieces of Swiss(air) if or when it collapses for the second time...

[SailorOrion]

BA has not merged with SR, they just "added" them to Oneworld and purchased some LHR slots.

LH has some options, should they want to grow: OS (they're already Miles and More member), BD (of which LH owns already 20% I think), JK and last but not least SAS.

SailorOrion

[jiml1126]

LH claims they prefer new planes, new facilities instead of merger.