While these actions as outlined in United's press release ([A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021023/cgw061_1.html]http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021023/cgw061_1.html[/A]) are understandable though unfortunate, United isn't getting much help in its time of need from its Star Alliance partner Lufthansa. Indeed, just the opposite. Apparently it wasn't enough that LH would see added revenues stemming from UA ending nonstop service to DUS and MXP -- on the very same day as UA's announcement, LH decided to help themselves to some additional UA revenues by announcing the start of their own FRA-PDX nonstop service. You can see that press release at:
[A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021023/232476_1.html]http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021023/232476_1.html[/A]
Now, having said that, it's certainly possible that LH is assisting UA in some as-yet-undisclosed and potentially significant way. Yet with the announcement of new LH service from FRA to a second-tier city like PDX, a city that undoubtedly provides UA with a reasonable amount of European traffic, it still makes me wonder if LH is trying to push UA out of any Transatlantic market that could logically flow over LH's hubs in FRA and/or MUC. And IMHO it seems clear that LH intends to be the predominant U.S.-Europe carrier in Star, no matter how that might impact UA.