End SNBA - IB partnership

KLC · Post by **KLC** » 01 Feb 2007, 18:32

Hello,

Does anyone know exactly why Bru Airl is ending the partnership with Iberia? As a former IB staff member, I know this is one of the best partnerships of SNBA... We checked in and boarded lots and lots of pax with an SN ticket on IB flights (and of course lots of IB tickets on SN flights)!
And the service the two carriers offer will finally "match": less service in economy/b-light and full service in business/b-flex.

So this kind of surprises me...

Regards,

KLC

Outsync · Post by **Outsync** » 01 Feb 2007, 19:04

I've no idea. But maybe they just don't need IB anymore?

Post by **airbuske** » 01 Feb 2007, 19:15

For me it is also a big suprise that there will be nog longer a partnership between SNBA en IB.

Sad

JM · Post by JM » 01 Feb 2007, 19:24

The info is was allready on luchtzak : ( latest news )The partnership between Iberia and (SN) Brussels Airlines will end on 25 March 2007.

Greetz,
JM

JAFflyer · Post by **JAFflyer** » 01 Feb 2007, 23:57

VEX was a competitor of IBE, maybe that's the reason. I guess they hope Belgian people will choose a Belgian carrier...
Guess again, Belgians aren't that chauvinistic, cheapest price=the best way.
But they're have been critics that on an SN flight you get full service, while on Iberia you have to pay... As that is not SN service, but you book your ticket with SN, people are being "cheated".

That's what I think, just guessing...

Schep · Post by **Schep** » 02 Feb 2007, 08:06

Or choose between a small pity avro and an airbus A320 with more space.

euroflyer · Post by **euroflyer** » 02 Feb 2007, 08:31

Well, I guess with the bigger number of flights on offer especially towards Spain now after SN and VEX have joined forces a partnership with IB simply is not necessary anymore. A partnership like this one was, does not only bring advantages, costs are involved as well. And if you feel you can get a big enough piece of the market on your own, this is clearly the better solution.

I always felt the partnership was mainly important for SN to be able to offer more than just two or three round trips a day to Madrid or Barcelona, because business travellers do want to be flexible about the timing etc. If they can offer enough departures now after the merger with VEX, there is no real need anymore for a partnership ...

Good Luck than b-a !

Post by **sn26567** » 02 Feb 2007, 09:18

Schep wrote:Or choose between a small pity avro and an airbus A320 with more space.

The Avro in SN configuration has a lot of space, at least as much as an A320 in IB configuration.

BrightCedars · Post by **BrightCedars** » 02 Feb 2007, 10:17

The Spanish market for business and leisure is certainly a hi priority for (SN) Brussels Airlines and they surely intend to make the most out of it. I'm sure they can capture a more important share of the market on their own now that they have a larger fleet, a new affordable product, and no more competition between SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express.
I think that the partnership with Alitalia may go down the same way in the future. BA is another story as I still see a possible long term and long haul strategic alignment between SN and BA.

tolipanebas · Post by **tolipanebas** » 02 Feb 2007, 11:31

In my view, SN took the right decision by ending the code share agreement with IB as it doesn't bring them any extra value.

The only reason why SN had this code share with IB in the first place was to increase daily frequencies to MAD and BCN through code share agreements, yet as from next summer season, SN will serve MAD and BCN more than enough with their own metal (737/RJ) for NOT having to depend on additional frequencies through IB.

Besides, IB made a habit of using SN as an overflow in case of overbooking only, preferably booking its pax to MAD (notably those with onward connections) on their own flights, even though the SN flight sometimes had more convenient schedules.

Also, BCN is increasingly becoming a Clickair hub anyway, so the IB route between BRU and BCN is likely going to end in the near future after which the 'advantage' of having IB would just exist to MAD.

On the other side, by ditching IB SN becomes the sole choice on the routes to/from:
BIO, AGP, VLC, SVQ, PMI,
thus profiling itself stronger on the Spanish market and attacting more pax through their own channels (with more opportunities for higher yield), something which is even more interesting for the onward connections.
(e.g. IB now books pax with onward connections through BRU from those secondary Spanish airports on SN flights, yet the entire ticket (incl the second leg) is handled by IB, leading to very poor yields for SN on those pax)

All in all, I think IB will suffer most, because their network looses several routes to BRU and several destinations in Northern Europe whereas SN just has to deal with a re-arranged schedule on MAD and BCN.

BTW- you are right, the AZ code share is a bit the same story: all too many destinations are entirely operated by SN and the partner only uses the flights to destinations they serve too as overbooking buffer for their own flights...

Post by **airbuske** » 08 Feb 2007, 17:34

sn26567 wrote:
Schep wrote:Or choose between a small pity avro and an airbus A320 with more space.
The Avro in SN configuration has a lot of space, at least as much as an A320 in IB configuration.

We came yesterday back with Iberia from Madrid.
We had EC-FDB as plane. A320 with the new grey
cabin lay out and new seats.

Now there are 180 seats in an A320.
So there is no longer more space in an A320 of Iberia