From SRB - Virgin Atlantic Likely to Make Alliance

Not wishing to start a new thread on the CO issue, received this email today advising the termination of the CO code share agreement;


As Continental Airlines has become fully integrated with United Airlines, the bi-lateral Codeshare relationship between VAA and Continental Airlines has come to a natural end and the agreement will be terminating. This will be effective from 13 February 2012 whereby the VS designator will be removed from CO operating flights and the CO designator from VS operating flights.
Any passengers who are travelling between now and 12 February 2012 [on a code share booking] can travel as normal and will not be affected by this.
If you have any passengers travelling after 12 February 2012 on a Continental codeshare booking please contact Sales Support (Tel: 0844 209 7705) and they will be able to assist with rebooking your passengers.

Can I ask who you got this email from?

Virgin Atlantic Trade email account

http://ebm.virginatlantic-email.co.uk/c ... X/doc.html

Thanks

This means that US Airways and Virgin America are the only two FC miles-earning partners in the USA.

FT paper yesterday reported that Delta was considering buying AA (who are in bankruptcy) which would likely kill one of the alliances. AA is OW and Delta is Skyteam.
If it were to happen either Delta would join OW and terminate the major KLM/AF alliance (giving ST a big hole) or AA would join ST almost killing off OW.

By remaining outside of an alliance VS is maintaining a certain dignity and I now feel that a 4th 'Virgin alliance' with strategic fill-ins is best although there doesnt seem much attempt to use VX as a feeder for VA.

Just booked a flight on CO LAS-EWR on the 15th of February and the option to gain FC miles was still there - be interesting to see if I get them!