With the possibility that IAG needs to invest in AA in order to keep from losing them...
A key factor with the relationship that went bad was the old US management. This had nothing to do with AWA or Parker, and I think that BA knows that. The former deal with BA did very little for US, and gave BA a lot of feed.and it is also possible that IAG may invest in AA even if AA merges with US and remains in oneworld to have control over US' decisions (if US mgmt is part of the decision). US and BA had a stronger relationship at one point in the past that went bad....
of course BA won't say whether they will invest.Possible but not likely - BA can't invest nearly enough to control the BOD, which in turn would control upper management's decisions. If BA invests in an AA/US combination I'd be surprised. In the interview where IAG said it had signed an NDA it declined to say it would invest in an AA/US combination, although it would have been a perfect time to do so. There is also the "minor" detail of there not being an NDA between IAG and US.
Jim
and it is also possible that IAG may invest in AA even if AA merges with US and remains in oneworld to have control over US' decisions (if US mgmt is part of the decision)..
Jim,
I said it IS POSSIBLE. that means one of several options.
Not unusual, but you missed the point completely. It was the "control US management" if they ended up running a merged US/AA that was wrong. At best IAG could try to influence managment but by no stretch of the imagination could IAG control management. As you yourself later said, no European carrier has tried to control a U.S. carrier, although Branson tried his best to keep some grip on Virgin America. The DOT wouldn't allow Branson to do it and will not allow IAG to do it. So even with an IAG investment in a merged US/AA, the ATI JV agreement is the only leverage that IAG would have and that presumably works both ways.
As for the rest it's just the usual "DL is the greatest and no carrier can compete" BS. Anyone who has been around this industry and understands it as well as you claim also knows that the situation that exists today can be reversed in a relatively short time. I remember when PanAm was at the pinnicle of the industry, but where are they now? TWA? I remember when EA carried more passengers than any carrier in the world except for Aeroflot - where are they today?
Jim