Skift Take
Air Berlin's potential absorption into Lufthansa may foreshadow fewer clean connections for American Airlines travelers heading to continental Europe, while United customers may see a benefit.
It's been in the cards for some time now, but last week, Air Berlin finally threw in the towel and filed for bankruptcy as its last financial lifeline, investor Etihad pulled further funding. The move came suddenly August 15 in contrast to earlier reports that Etihad had agreed to an additional 18 months of funding in May.
Air Berlin never became widely popular as an international airline due to a litany of issues, and its shortcomings made it largely unprofitable. And though it will be missed as an airline if operations cease (the carrier is still running through the summer on a loan from Lufthansa), the biggest gap that it may leave could be in the Oneworld alliance, the network of partner carriers to which Air Berlin subscribes.
Among other partners, the Oneworld alliance includes American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, and Qantas, giving Air Berlin and its customers reach across much of the world. Just as importantly though, Air Berlin gave its partners deep access into central Eu
