SAA too quick off the mark

[Pontius' Pilot]

From Sunday Times : Roger Makings

South African Airways has prematurely announced its membership of Star Alliance, a 15-member grouping of international airlines. SAA's entry to the club now hangs in the balance, as the Competition Comission must first investigate the impact this will have on local competitors.

This means that SAA has not become the 16th member of the Star Alliance - as it erroneously announced on Friday and as reported in Business Times this weekend.

Andile Mabizela, SAA's executive vice president commercial, admitted yesterday that the airline had only realised on Friday that Competition Comission sanction was pivotal before the proposed membership could be signed and accepted by Star in Singapore yesterday.

"We will, for the moment, have to sign a memorandum of understanding instead" he said.

Mabizela said the mix up was an "oversight", following "a warning only late in the week" that SAA could not go ahead with the signing. "If the Competition Comission takes the view that joining the Start Alliance is anti-competitive, then we will have to walk away from the deal", he said.

The signing will take place in six month's time, provided the Competition Comission gives the go-ahead.

[clipboard]

"Conman" Andrews brought this "big mouth bravado" to SAA, and it appears that nothing has changed. These guys can simply not organize a p...:mad: up in a brewery. How pathetic! Big announcement to the world but no clearance from the Government to do so. The incompetant management & PR people should be booted into Timbaktu........ I mean WHAT an embarrassment!:}

[George Tower]

Whatever you think of SAA I don't see what them being a member of Star Alliance is anti-competitive. I mean BA/Comair is an integral part of One World.

If however we do want to talk about anti-competitive what about the fact that SAA is still publicly owned and therefore from a financial perspective free to do whatever it bloody well likes as losses can always be paid for by the tax payer......I'm sure Comair's share holders would not have been quite so benevolent over the years as the SA tax-payer.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

GT, you're opening a can of worms, boet! We all know the SA taxpayer foots the bill for all the govt's stupidity. Unfortunately the taxpayer has no real say in this country anyway so nothing will change in the short term unless the SA voter wakes up and doesn't vote on tribal lines. IMHO pigs will fly before that happens...

[IDT]

Two things spring to mind:

1. I have mainly experienced great service etc with carriers that are part of Star Alliance (Singapore - you guys are the best). With SAA, with whom I have had mainly poor and bad experiences, I fear that Star has made a blunder (Sure, they are the biggest in Africa, but is that the only real factor?). SAA's service, their choice in cabin seating etc, is way way way below what can reasonably be expected. Ever fancy having a grey egg for breakfast, go fly SAA. Their cabin crew are so full of themselves, and think that they own the PAX and can subject us to their arrogance and poor levels of service.....enough said, I think everybody knows what I am on about. Good luck Star Alliance with SAA joining you.

2. Yes, being a "public company" SAA gets bailed out at the end of each year for their poor performance. Ever wondered about this huge "hedging loss"????? There is no incentive for them to improve, because the SA taxpayer will make sure that next year the same sorry service is still around. Give the private guys (Comair, Nationwide OneTime etc) just a bit of the money that SAA is getting, and let the playing fields be leveled that way.

[NS Driver]

Anyone know how the code share with QF to and from Aussie will work ?? Qantas = One World / SAA = Star.

[PAXboy]

Not only are Comair part of One World but Nationwide link with Virgin, so it could be argued that SAA is only just catching up.

In 5.99 months time, the Commssion will decree that it is not anti-competitive and SAA will sign up.

Everyone will be happy.
Everyone will have justified their job.
Everyone will keep their job.

Anyone want to take a bet on the above? :rolleyes:

--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[REAL ORCA]

I think the problems is that there are still an outstanding dispute between Comair/Nationwide and SAA in which no ruling has been given by the competitionsboard. Once this has been sorted out, the process will probably continue.

Just guessing- might be wrong.

[King Red]

The fact that SAA gets an annual bail out is proof that the other national airlines are better run. "Ish sorry" has its rightfull place. The bettr run airlines get by competativly and take their deserved share in the market.

Although many of us would like to fly the equipment, the politics may not be worth it at the end.

I do certainly hope that the other airlines apply AA or BEC cautiously and give us pilots a gap for job satisfaction.

Let SAA carry the can.

[Stephen Stark]

As a young unsuspecting charter pilot, I thought that to fly with SAA would be the height of my career. When I learned of their tactics in the industry and the 'double standards' of their operation, i rethought my plan. I find it very interesting that operators get nailed for any foul play, but SAA always comes out tops, looking like angels.

As a young unsuspecting passenger, even further back in my youth, I thought that SAA was fantastic, especially on the long haul routes. Even up to recently on the sector to Frankfurt, with the exception of the horrible layout of the aircraft, the flight was pleasant, the crew were friendly and the service was not all that bad. Come on boys, this is the best the continent has to offer in terms of big carriers, so lets support Air Botswana! :}