RUMOR ALERT: US/UA merger "inevitable"...

[hp_fa]

(Tongue in cheek)

In an effort to show unanimity among the combined work force the newly combined airline it will be named America West...

(Tongue out of cheek.)

 

[oldiebutgoody]

(Tongue in cheek)

In an effort to show unanimity among the combined work force the newly combined airline it will be named America West...

(Tongue out of cheek.)

Which set of cheeks?

 

[goodgirl37]

On a serious note, there really is no way for US Airway to benefit from merging with United (or vice-versa) if both are mortgaged to the level the article posted on the first page implies. Carrying that much debt doesn't allow for a draw-down in service, as the need every last bit of revenue to pay the debt service.

What would make most sense is to quasi-merge, to get the benefits of scale, without the impracticalities of merging these two carriers. Perhaps its been suggested on here before.

I am more inclined to agree that United is on its deathbed, and US should steer clear and reap the benefits of a major carrier disappearing. I was going to suggest picking through the remains at fire-sale prices, but I'm not sure there is anything US would want at any price.....maybe the route authority to Beunos Aries if that is something hard to come by.

it is so amazing how US was on its deathbed twice and you can turn around and wish it on someone else, sickening. Just think, America West could have said the same thing - steer clear and let them tank - ... If UAL goes down, it wont be US getting the pieces, as they are in just as bad of shape.

 

[hp_fa]

Which set of cheeks?

Fair and appropriate question sir.

 

[AirbusAVE]

it is so amazing how US was on its deathbed twice and you can turn around and wish it on someone else, sickening. Just think, America West could have said the same thing - steer clear and let them tank - ... If UAL goes down, it wont be US getting the pieces, as they are in just as bad of shape.

He's talking from a business point of view. I'm sure he isn't wishing UAL would tank, but is stating the possibilities that very well could happen and analyzing what to do if such a situation occurs.

 

[goodgirl37]

He's talking from a business point of view. I'm sure he isn't wishing UAL would tank, but is stating the possibilities that very well could happen.
[/quote


And so am I, there are too many airlines that would be killing for the pieces of UAL, and US doesnt have near the money of any one of the others to go against them in a bidding war, making it much safer to merge, if not and UAL did go under first (instead of US) - US would be close behind, just like AWA was.. Face facts not fiction... If UAL offered to merge, Parker would sign the dotted line immediately.

 

[signals]

The Un-Holy Trinity has been in the making since 1998! That was when United attempted to merge with America West. In 2000 United attempted a merger with US. Both failed. United was obviously the aggressor.

AWA merged with US and a United merger is just a matter of time. I learned that Corporate America has all the time in the world to accomplish their goals. You don't!

In the former attempted mergers, my guess is that United...who was the aggressor...would have kept its name. AWA was the aggressor in the US merger, but kept the Trailways name and franchise. Parker claimed that he sought the Delta name during the failed attempted hostile take-over. I think that that was a smokescreen because Delta and US Airways aren't a good compatible combination. Therefore, much like the original United failed mergers, your name will be United! But AWA is the buyer or purchaser.

As much as US hates Parker, United hates Tilton even more!

This merger has been a long time coming. The United pilot who made a wise-crack comment about the Hudson being US Air's new landing strip may have been sending a message to the 'other' union!

It will probably be US Airways that buys United unless they both head to bankruptcy courts! The name will stay United or in a far-fetched world go back to US Air(lines)!

You can't tell me that TT isn't eying that Chicago hub??? General operations can be better monitored from a centralized location. The sandcastle doesn't have a clue how to run East operations. By moving to that centralized location, running both operations get easier!

Mergers may help the airlines but employees are on their own. I can't imagine how many surprises pop-up as things are not what they seem. Seniority seems to be a major subject in mergers.

 

[AirbusAVE]

And so am I, there are too many airlines that would be killing for the pieces of UAL, and US doesnt have near the money of any one of the others to go against them in a bidding war, making it much safer to merge, if not and UAL did go under first (instead of US) - US would be close behind, just like AWA was.. Face facts not fiction... If UAL offered to merge, Parker would sign the dotted line immediately.

I'm not disputing the fact that other airlines would want United assets. I don't think US Airways would get anything out of United other than an overall reduced number of seats flying around in the USA. I could only see Airways getting some DCA slots and aircraft.




You act as if UAL would be in the drivers seat, which I highly doubt that would be. If there is any merger between LCC and UAL, Parker will be the CEO, in my opinion.



I personally don't think any legacies will be merging, so it's all trivial to me.

 

[N965VJ]

In 2000 United attempted a merger with US. Both failed. United was obviously the aggressor.

I don’t seem to recall an “aggressorâ€￾ nine years ago.

 

[ChockJockey]

Throw the dice, spin the wheel; we're all along for the ride anyway, and if my choices are losing my job due to an anemic collapse of US or losing my job due to the synergistic realizations of some monster merger, I'll take the merger.

Hold on for however long it takes the bureaucratic smoke to clear what with fed regulators and management integration and the unions and route and equipment assessments and wheeling and dealing and yes, all the lawyers! I think, even if my job were to be cut I see it taking them some time to get around to doing just that...

 

[Art at ISP]

The problem is that between UA and US there is not one qualified leader. The successor airline of a merger between UA and US would likely have to go outside for a CEO--then again Larry Kellner may be available......

Having either Doug Parker or Glenn Tilton as CEO dooms the merger from the start, as would having Scott Kirby in ANY management role....

If you're going to pull off a merger like that you need someone who is customer centric and can think outside the box......Doug and Scott have as much as stated publicly their contempt for customers, and, well, Tilton's record speaks for itself.

The entire airline industry is broken--as long as it continues to price its product predominantly below cost, there is no hope....and the alacarte fees will come back to bite them in the end...."Stop the Insanity" already....

In a US/UA merger, I see it being an equal merger of two broken parts....now if both UA and US went into BK again, CO could just pick up the pieces.......now THAT would be an airline....

 

[USA320Pilot]

I believe an argument can be made the LGA-DCA Slot Transaction between US Airways and Delta actually reduces anti-trust issues with a United-US Airways merger.

Earlier this year the DOT granted anti-trust immunity to United and Continental, which effectively allows these two companies to share pricing and become one entity for marketing and sales. I would have to study US Airways' LGA and Continental's EWR point-to-point service, but I believe virtually every market US Airways flys out of LGA Continental does out of EWR.

Therefore, the current route structures of the potential merger partners would have a greater anti-trust issue today than after the slot transaction. To be sure...another market analysis would have to be done with US Airways at DCA and United at IAD, but I believe many of the new routes US Airways intends to fly out of DCA United does not fly out of IAD.

And, another small point is that a merger with United adds additional DCA gates next to US Airways for the combined company, which could help offset the pending gate shortage at DCA with the slot transaction because the two companies operate next to one another. If Frontier is moved then with increased utilization of United's gates, US Airways obtaining the one Frontier gate (Fronteir and Midwest could be combined in DCA's Banjo concourse to allow Republic to consolidate Frontier and Midwest operations), and more use out of the Commuter World, this may permit the additional 42 slots to be used without obtaining any other DCA real estate.

Finally, a few months ago Scott Kirby told employees at a Crew News session that after United and Continental obtained anti-trust approval US Airways would work closer with Continental and become "deeply embedded" with United.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[freedom]

lol mergers ... HA ...

 

[mach92flyr]

This rumor is laughable. The only group that hates the East pilots more than the America West pilots is the United pilot group.
The near merger in 2000 with AAA and UAL left a bitter taste in the United pilots mouth. The East pilots push for DOH and proclamations about pushing United Captains to the right seat and taking over the 747/777 flying solidified the United group. This is similar to the America West reaction in 2005
Steve Wallach, the MC of UAL ALPA, and a member of the UAL BOD, has been reported to say he would "burn United to the ground" if Tilton tried to merge AAA and UAL.
The reputation of the East pilots has earned them the title of the "most hated" group at Delta, AWA, United and American. This should doom any future mergers. AWA saved the AAA jobs, but may have sealed the fate of both AAA and AWA pilots as unable to survive for long.

 

[curious1]

If UA & US merge hopefully the acquiring company will be USAirways since the combined company would get to keep 6 DCA beyond perimeter slots of
3 PHX, 1 LAS, 1 CAK, 1 SRQ.
If United is the acquiring company then they only keep the 1 DCA-DEN slot but lose the 6 that USAirways currently has. It doesn't matter what the new name of the company is, it just matters who the acquiring company is.