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Airline marriage a mixed bag for travelers

Fri Nov 17, 5:42 PM ET

What does this mean to you, the frequent flier? Should US Airways get its way, the merger could change your life, depending on where you travel to and from.

On the plus side for US Airways travelers, a merger of the two legacy carriers would give frequent fliers access to Delta's international routes. But it wouldn't work out so well for Delta's SkyMiles people (a Wall Street Journal article from yesterday goes into more detail on how this would impact miles.)

But everybody pretty much agrees that a merger would stifle competition and boost fares, especially in the East and South regions.

"It would destroy competition in the deep South," Michael Boyd, an aviation industry consultant from the Boyd Group, was quoted as saying in the Journal article.

And Scott McCartney, writer of The Middle Seat, explains fare differences and how they might be impacted by a US Airways-Delta deal. 

Of course, US Airways denies that the deal would hurt competition. It also says the new airline would still face low-cost rivals at most of its hubs and that all but 19 percent of travelers at airports it serves will have low-cost carrier choices.

US Air and Delta fliers, let me know what you think about your airline marrying the other?

Write to: Barbara Correa at bboydstoncorrea@yahoo.com

Next: Frequent fliers wear their protest
Previous: The heavy traveler

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Comments

Join the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

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1
Delta and the travelling public would be the beneficiaries in a USAirways/America West takeover. Having flown the New USAirways 7 times in the past 3 mos, I know personally this is one great new airline Company. I've also flown the other bankrupt legacy carriers (American,United/Ted and restart Frontier) and the best re-born company of all, Continental. Delta seems lost and it's reflected in the faces and attitudes of the customer service and In-flight personnel. Continental is simply extraordinary- they get it.. and I've flown them 12 times since May,with consistency approaching 100%. The Worst..American from $2.00 7-11 muffins to a 2hr Flight with no running water or flushing toilets(3)/no coffee/tea, I can't understand why they're still around. American Bought TWA out of Bankruptcy, America West Bought USAirways out of Bankruptcy, and so USAirways will Buy Delta..it makes sense and will SAVE thousands of Jobs. If you've flown Delta Lately... go jump on a USAirways flight & see for yourself.
Posted by ggamble99 on Sat, Nov 25, 2006 8:57 PM ET
2
Very bad site
Posted by ismailhyderpp on Wed, Dec 6, 2006 12:30 AM ET
3
A merger between U.S. Airways and Delta would merely add another airline to my no fly list of airlines. I flew U.S. Air a couple of months ago and it took me over a week to recover from the stress of the experience.
Posted by glebovitz on Mon, Dec 11, 2006 5:12 PM ET
4
The US flag carriers are varying degrees of bad. My hope is that some of the bankrupt carriers get bought out by Cathay Pacific or Singapore Air or Thai Airways, then people in the US will achieve some level of understanding of what a quality flying experience really is.
Posted by bob1082 on Mon, Dec 11, 2006 9:03 PM ET
5
To be compared to an international carrier that is supported by the government is ludicrous...If you want to add about 10% more to your taxes to pay for passengers luxuries, then move to France etc...
Posted by sherrylmajor on Tue, Dec 12, 2006 11:01 AM ET
6
What are frequent flyer miles good for anyway nowadays? I stopped flying Delta on 2000. I had just returned from Europe with my 2 kids and husband and got a call my grandfather was hospitalized and in a very serious condition (he died 3 weeks after). I lived in the South then and the gateway to Europe was through Atlanta (Delta). I had flown almost a million miles with Delta, and always used them for the family vacations; I had just used my stash to fly home with my family and here I was trying to get a flight the same day I had returned ...all sold out except first class which was about 5K (January 2nd). I asked about using my miles for the ticket and I was short 800 miles...I explained my situation through agent to agent to manager, but the answer was NO! I ended up buying another first class ticket flying out of Charlotte (driving 3 hours) with US airways for almost the same price, very bitter and resentful about the way I was treated. Not long after, they implemented the miles purchase option, but needless to say I have not flown Delta since. I have US airways and AA miles now and I must say US airways is my first choice for traveling in the US.
Posted by seychel71 on Sat, Dec 23, 2006 11:08 AM ET
7
oppss.. it didn't post entirely! The last sentence. "If US airways decides to partner up with Delta, I have to start looking for a new airline to fly withtin the US!!! Yikes"
Posted by seychel71 on Sat, Dec 23, 2006 11:12 AM ET
8
I certainly HATE US Airways & do not support it's HOSTILE takeover of Delta. I fly Delta constantly for my job all around the country & I never understand when I hear people's complaints about Delta. I NEVER have a problem with customer service, timing (leaving or arriving, regardless of weather), receiving baggage (I check it always), or the attitude of flight personnel. NEVER. All my experiences with US Air have been bad including a permanently lost bag, bitter complaining flight attendants, poor customer service & flight timing. Needless to say American is the worst with every flight I've taken in the last 2 years leaving 2 - 4 hours late. Recently NW literally drove us around in circles on the runways for 3 hours trying to fix a gyroscope. Take a look at the Federal statistics. Delta is up at the top. Atlanta, Georgia & the SouthEast needs Delta economically. This merger would close the Salt Lake hub & greatly affect that area too.
Posted by ellbgreen on Mon, Jan 29, 2007 12:40 AM ET
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