Jet Airways Rumour

[9vsmu]

Anybody heard something about 9W moving hub from BRU to Milan ?? Or is this another rumour ?

[Air Ella]

It's a rumour. They just open a route to milan.
There is also another topic about this, but I don't find it for the moment on luchtzak.

[regi]

It would be sad.
But if the Indian business people I know don't even use Jet Airways ( even if they have appointments in a 80 km radius around BRU ) , what can we expect?
So strange, dear members, so strange. Utterly rich Indian business people rather let them be driven to CDG to catch a flight back home instead of using the excellent Jet Airways product. And they are very open about their decision: " Oh well, it is so expensive". But on the other hand they have a businnes class ticket with AF, which probably costs around 3,000 €. Euh?
But the employee who has to drive up and down the French highway to CDG , paying the highway toll and parking fee, is much more expensive. I just don't get it. Must be something cultural I think.

[luchtzak]

It's a rumour. They just open a route to milan.
There is also another topic about this, but I don't find it for the moment on luchtzak.

viewtopic.php?p=238028#p238028
viewtopic.php?p=238474#p238474

[regi]

It's a rumour. They just open a route to milan.
There is also another topic about this, but I don't find it for the moment on luchtzak.

viewtopic.php?p=238028#p238028
viewtopic.php?p=238474#p238474

just read it.
Future will tell what this means for Brussels.

[babolat-blast]

It would be sad.
But if the Indian business people I know don't even use Jet Airways ( even if they have appointments in a 80 km radius around BRU ) , what can we expect?
So strange, dear members, so strange. Utterly rich Indian business people rather let them be driven to CDG to catch a flight back home instead of using the excellent Jet Airways product. And they are very open about their decision: " Oh well, it is so expensive". But on the other hand they have a businnes class ticket with AF, which probably costs around 3,000 €. Euh?
But the employee who has to drive up and down the French highway to CDG , paying the highway toll and parking fee, is much more expensive. I just don't get it. Must be something cultural I think.

Collecting air miles might be another reason. I know someone working in a big Belgian company with employees travelling all over the world. They can keep the air miles for themselves. So, if they have to go to China, they all fly KL or AF via AMS or CDG with a driver bringing them to these airports... instead of just using Hainan. The only reason: air miles... to go on holidays... It's a very common practice.

[LJ]

Collecting air miles might be another reason. I know someone working in a big Belgian company with employees travelling all over the world. They can keep the air miles for themselves. So, if they have to go to China, they all fly KL or AF via AMS or CDG with a driver bringing them to these airports... instead of just using Hainan. The only reason: air miles... to go on holidays... It's a very common practice.

Usually big companies have corporate contracts which mean their employees are bound by a certain airline (or alliance). For example, I know of a Dutch company (which also has a very large presence in Belgium) which requires all its employees to travel Skyteam. This is applicable for all its subsidiaries (thus also for the Belgian subsidiary). Regardless whether there is a non-Skyteam option ex BRU, the Belgian employees have to fly a Skyteam airline if they fly abroad (the exception being intra-European air travel where alternatives are allowed if there is no direct Skyteam flight).

[regi]

Collecting air miles might be another reason. I know someone working in a big Belgian company with employees travelling all over the world. They can keep the air miles for themselves. So, if they have to go to China, they all fly KL or AF via AMS or CDG with a driver bringing them to these airports... instead of just using Hainan. The only reason: air miles... to go on holidays... It's a very common practice.

Usually big companies have corporate contracts which mean their employees are bound by a certain airline (or alliance). For example, I know of a Dutch company (which also has a very large presence in Belgium) which requires all its employees to travel Skyteam. This is applicable for all its subsidiaries (thus also for the Belgian subsidiary). Regardless whether there is a non-Skyteam option ex BRU, the Belgian employees have to fly a Skyteam airline if they fly abroad (the exception being intra-European air travel where alternatives are allowed if there is no direct Skyteam flight).

Yes, airmiles can be a reason. And I know about the fact that companies can claim the miles of their employees. But the strange thing with the Indian business people I know ( who choose to travel AF from CDG, or even do an extra stop over Heathrow or Frankfurt ) is different. They are the owners of the companies, so it is their own money. They say that Jet Airways is too expensive, but that isn't true. So what is it? Could it be something that we westerners are not aware about : snobism ? I saw it also with new rich Chinese business people and even civil servants from Thailand. They want to have the foreign brand to show off. An imported Benz, designer cloths, and even a ticket with BA, AF or LH. Strange for us, normal for them.

[earthman]

Well, if it's their money, then it's their business who they hand it to. The fact that they claim the other option is too expensive, while it obviously is not, suggests that they are ashamed of their own behaviour and try to conceal it.

The question then becomes: does Jet offer inferior service compared to AF?

Or is it a sign of bravery: "AF crashes their planes all the time but I am not afraid to fly with them!".

[LJ]

They are the owners of the companies, so it is their own money. They say that Jet Airways is too expensive, but that isn't true. So what is it?

How do you know that it isn't true? The prices for tickets ex India may be totally different then those ex Europe. For example, a quick search on kayak reveals that CDG-DEL in C-class starts from EUR 1,600 whereas DEL-CDG starts around EUR 2,000 (both for nonstop flight on AI).

[lumumba]

Hi everybody.
I work in the diamond industry with a lot of Indians and they are very proud of Jet and they fly with them.
Nevertheless they still have a Star card and like to fly with SWISS.
I just came back from Toronto with them and it was FULL and expensive because that,the service was good a lot better than all the other US airlines on the N.A market.
Bonne journee
Patrice

[regi]

They are the owners of the companies, so it is their own money. They say that Jet Airways is too expensive, but that isn't true. So what is it?

How do you know that it isn't true? The prices for tickets ex India may be totally different then those ex Europe. For example, a quick search on kayak reveals that CDG-DEL in C-class starts from EUR 1,600 whereas DEL-CDG starts around EUR 2,000 (both for nonstop flight on AI).

The Indian bussines people I talked about let the tickets being paid by their European divisions.
I have no idea about ticket prices booked in India.

[regi]

Hi everybody.
I work in the diamond industry with a lot of Indians and they are very proud of Jet and they fly with them.
Nevertheless they still have a Star card and like to fly with SWISS.
I just came back from Toronto with them and it was FULL and expensive because that,the service was good a lot better than all the other US airlines on the N.A market.
Bonne journee
Patrice

Thank you Lumumba for your quick reply.
Yes, I know that the Indians are very proud about "their" Jet Airways. But when it comes to booking with them , they have a different opinion.
Question: can you give an estimation of the percentage of Indian people on board that full flight ?

[AvWeekRupa]

Anybody heard something about 9W moving hub from BRU to Milan ?? Or is this another rumour ?

If 9W joins SkyTeam, then they'll need to move their hub to Italy possibly, so the MOU with Alitalia could come in handy. It will be interesting if they do join ST as they codeshare with airlines belonging to a range of alliances so frequent fliers will be in for some changes,

[VEX802]

Here's the report from Aviation Weekly that came out yesterday.

Jet Airways Mulls Joining SkyTeam, As Alliance Options Run Out


Aviation Daily Oct 27 , 2010 , p. 11
Neelam Mathews





Just as Air India delays its entry into the Star Alliance, Jet Airways may be viewing joining SkyTeam.

The Star Alliance has been anxious to add another Indian carrier to its portfolio, says India’s market size could absorb two carriers and recently met with Jet Airways. Star’s interest in Jet Airways has brought a cold-shoulder response from India’s civil aviation ministry, which made it clear that Air India is to be the first admitted to Star. Presumably, that will ensure it first-mover advantage.

Air India, however, was forced to delay its entry following integration issues related to the merger with Indian Airlines. It may join Star in the summer of 2011 instead of spring 2011.

“We respect the ministry’s decision and have been in conversation with them,” Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht told AVIATION WEEK recently.

Meanwhile, the signs may already be there as options run out for Jet with Kingfisher Airlines having announced its intention to join Oneworld.

Jet has announced daily direct services between Milan Malpensa Airport and New Delhi starting Dec. 5, and recently exchanged a memorandum of understanding to confirm its intention to operate code-sharing flights with SkyTeam member Alitalia, starting with its winter schedule.

Milan is strategically located at the heart of Central Europe, and Jet says it is appealing because of its connectivity to several Italian cities and other European destinations, such as Paris, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, Madrid, Zurich, Vienna, Belgrade and Budapest in conjunction with its interline partners.

Jet has also switched its lounge to the SkyTeam facility from Etihad’s lounge, which opened in June last year. Premium passengers with Jet Airways now use the SkyTeam lounge at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4.

“India and Italy share strong ties, ranging across leisure and business tourism and commercial trade. We will be able to offer our customers a wider access to Italy’s top destinations, with Italy’s premium airline,” Naresh Goyal, Jet Airways’ chairman, said.

“The MOU with Jet Airways is a further step in Alitalia’s strategy of growing on the global marketplace, and follows the key agreements that Alitalia already signed with Aeroflot, Etihad and Vietnam Airlines,” Roberto Colaninno, Alitalia’s chairman said. Two of these are SkyTeam members (Aeroflot and Vietnam Airlines).

While Jet Airways has a code-sharing agreement with Star Alliance member Brussels Airlines for European routes at its Brussels hub, if Jet were to join SkyTeam, it would mean the end of the partnership and a change of hub to France or Italy.

Jet Airways currently has frequent flyer partnership agreements with 22 international airlines that include Star and SkyTeam members. Its code shares to the U.S are with United Airlines, a Star member, and Delta, a SkyTeam member.

“There are major cost benefits in joining an airline alliance particularly when carriers are limping back. The time is right for Jet to join an alliance. It might be difficult to be on the same platform as Air India, which, being a government carrier, is not used to sharing the spoils,” says an airline official on grounds of anonymity.

[VEX802]

(only in Italian):

http://www.asca.it/news-ALITALIA__ACCOR ... -ORA-.html

It suggests that 9W - AZ are are entering into a codeshare agreement from the 2010 winter season. They will place there codes on each others flights. It will probably be expanded upon.

[sn26567]

bmi launch Jet Airways codeshare service

bmi starting 31OCT10 has launched unilateral codeshare service with India’s Jet Airways. Currently, only bmi’s “BD” code is appearing on selected Jet Airways’ service, covering between UK and India, between Belgium and India, as well as selected Domestic India service.

See list of codeshared flights on airlineroute.net: http://airlineroute.net/2010/11/05/bd9w-codeshare/

Another codeshare with a Star Alliance partner! Strange, isn't it?

[DeltaWiskey]

Skyteam and Star Alliance are still both possible, Jet keeps their options open, and makes sense if you look at there codeshares and frequent fliers partners.

A small summary who Jet Airways codeshares with:
Star Alliance: Air Canada, All Nipon Aiways, Brussels Airlines, United Airlines, (bmi).
Skyteam: Alitalia, Kenya Airways
Oneworld: Qantas
None: Etihad, Gulf Air, Malaysia Airlines

And then they share FFP with some more airlines, with some of the big of SkyTeam (namely Air France, KLM, Delta), but also with some biggies from Star Alliance (Lufthansa, South African, Swiss, Turkish).