merger

Is an American – US Airways merger good for air travelers?

us airways 5The long-rumored merger between American Airlines and US Airways appeared to move a step closer early this month when Tom Horton, American’s chief executive, announced that the two carriers were in “discussions” and that a decision would be made “within a matter of weeks.”

A combination of American, which is expected to emerge from bankruptcy protection early this year, and US Airways would create the nation’s largest airline as measured by number of employees, and the second-largest in terms of operating revenue. It would also complete a cycle of industry consolidation that has defined the past decade in commercial aviation, with Delta Air Lines merging with Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines joining United, and the latest corporate coupling between Southwest Airlines and AirTran, among several others.
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Bad marriage? Passengers wish they could unravel the Continental-United merger

The merger between Continental Airlines and United Airlines, which became official at the beginning of this month, is the airline combination passengers would like to unravel the most, a new poll shows.

A survey of more than 400 readers taken this weekend found 36 percent wanted to undo the Continental-United combination. It was trailed closely by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines (30 percent), American Airlines and TWA (19 percent) and America West and US Airways (15 percent).

Readers had plenty to say about the mergers, too.
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Buh-bye, bag fees? What the Southwest-AirTran merger really means for passengers


This morning’s big news — some observers have even called it “shocking” — is that discount carriers Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways are headed to the altar in a $1.4 billion merger.

I’ve already received numerous questions about what this will mean for passengers. The answer? It’s a good news/bad news situation, probably.

But let’s begin with a short video (above) from earlier this year, when Southwest took aim at AirTran for its baggage fees. This was part of a series of commercials in which Southwest tweaked its bride-to-be. Funny, how things change. They must have known back then that a merger was a possibility. And yet …
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How will a combined Continental-United fare in the customer service department?

The Department of Justice green-lighted the Continental Airlines-United Airlines merger late last week, and now the corporate celebrity wedding seems like a done deal. The combined airline will be the world’s largest, but how will it do in the customer-service department?

No one knows, of course.

But if the past is any indication of future performance, then here are a few numbers to consider:
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