Speaking in London on Monday, British Airways chief executive, Rod Eddington, confirmed that talks were underway with Swissair but said it was too early to tell whether the Swiss carrier might join the alliance. "We can rule nothing in, and nothing out," he told reporters at a press conference. The "oneworld" alliance involves some of the biggest players in the airline market including British Airways, American Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, and Cathay Pacific. Swissair's parent company, SAirGroup, refused to comment, saying only that it has already made it clear that it is looking at a number of alternatives to its existing Qualiflyer alliance group. Patrick Schwindemann, an airline sector analyst at Zurich Cantonal Bank, told swissinfo that a link-up with "oneworld" was in the carrier's best interests. "Swissair has several options like 'oneworld', the Star Alliance or Sky Team.