Dear Alex,
Why have none of the four major Gulf airlines (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Gulf Air) or the two Taiwanese carriers (China Airlines and Eva Air) joined an alliance? I am a Star Alliance gold member and every few months a new carrier joins, but the ones I am really looking forward to never show up.
Gery Emonds, Bangkok
Alex replies:
I suspect it is because the Gulf airlines value their independence – joining an alliance would cramp their style. These carriers are growing their global networks right now and pricing aggressively, and this policy would not sit well with the established alliance members. For an alliance to work, there must be harmony among the members.
As for the Taiwanese carriers, I imagine the reason is a political one, with the alliances preferring to woo mainland China because of its greater potential for generating passenger traffic. But remember that nothing in the aviation world is set in stone, so there could well be changes in the years ahead.
