ABSTRACT
Multi-partner alliance networks are now common practice in the airline industry. The aim of the participating firms is, in a general sense, the generation of synergies providing them with a competitive advantage vis-à-vis their competitors. Synergies, however, are by definition only generated by joint efforts and materialize in a way that does not allow to directly relate individual inputs to the total outcome. Thus, the problem of attributing fair shares of the synergistic effect among the alliance partners needs to be resolved, as it is the raison d’être of the alliance for its member firms. This paper (a) conceptualizes the problem of synergy assessment and its relevance for alliances in general, (b) specifies concept and problem for the airline sector, and (c) proposes a general model for synergy assessment and distribution in airline alliances.
