Newsstand - United, US Airways seen near deal

United, US Airways seen near deal
Source: Airlines in very advanced talks to combine operations

CHICAGO - A person close to the negotiations says United Airlines and US Airways are in very advanced talks with the expectation of announcing within two weeks that they are combining.

The two carriers have stepped up their talks after Continental Airlines Inc. caught United off guard by deciding not to pursue a deal with the Chicago-based carrier.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24352806/

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That is about how I feel when I read that. How on Earth do they suppose to make a better, more profitable airline after merging with US?

This could be the nail in UA's coffin, and they'd take US/HP with them. Running an airline with three different pilot contracts would be insane, though that wouldn't stop UA from going that route. They're desperate to merge and cash out, regardless of the costs to the shareholders or employees.

................crap

(sorry should I clean this response up a little more?):mad:

As long as they get rid of Parker and his management clowns, their is a chance it will be ok. Otherwise it will be just like the HMS Titantic

Looks like ConUniHound (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=588681)will no longer be a possibility. Geez, that really blows. :D

Parker will run this debacle of an airline...IF they merge.....

PLEASE UA...WAKE UP! Dont merge with US!

:mad: :mad: :mad:
blech, drek, yuck, merde & kukkah (followed by any words folks would like to add)

Look at it this way, at least we won't have to worry about UA having to clean up their product. :rolleyes:

For the love of all that is holy - Noooo!!!

Just to be accurate about it......:p

It was the RMS Titanic (Royal Mail Steamship)

HMS is Her Majestys Ship and only applies to vessels of the Royal Navy.... ;)

I don't fly either carrier and have no vested customer interest here, but even I have to say it -

Holy Crap!

If Lucifer was an airline executive, even he wouldn't want to run this combination.

What's the goal here - see how many airline mergers Parker can mess up in one career? Or see if he can sink two airlines for the price of three.

Just to be accurate about it......:p

It was the RMS Titanic (Royal Mail Steamship)

HMS is Her Majestys Ship and only applies to vessels of the Royal Navy.... ;)

learn something new everyday on FT, thanks trooper^
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Mail_Ship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty's_Ship

I am hoping Parker doesn't touch E+, but that's unlikely given his knack for "racing towards the bottom"! If E+ goes, there is really no reason for me to stick with UA/US/whatever it's going to be called after the merger.

LAX

I am hoping Parker doesn't touch E+, but that's unlikely given his knack for "racing towards the bottom"! If E+ goes, there is really no reason for me to stick with UA/US/whatever it's going to be called after the merger.

LAX

Wait, you expect him to keep E? The airline that did away with the 500mi min on earning miles AND starting charging a purchase fee to use it's own website?

I think you give good ol' DP a bit too much credit. :(

If US and UA hook up, the final flavor of the airline will depend on where the management comes from. If the bulk of it comes from the Sand Castle, expect what you see now over at US but much worse. They can't manage the old US East's Int. operations, much less UA's Int ops on 5 different continents.

If UA provides the bulk of the management, then I hate to say it but I can see US's domestic ops turning into Ted but they at least know the operations side.

If this does come about, they need to 86 US's IT department and go with UA's. Just read some of the horror stories over in the US forum about the res migration disaster and the on going issues.

If this does come about, they need to 86 US's IT department and go with UA's. Just read some of the horror stories over in the US forum about the res migration disaster and the on going issues.

Wow, I don't even want to imagine what US's system is like if you are actually recommending .bomb over it!

Oh . . . my . . . god!

If UA is to be run by those folks who brought us US/HP, it's Amerinental (Continican?) for me. E+ is nice, but consistency and reliability is more important.

Wow, I don't even want to imagine what US's system is like if you are actually recommending .bomb over it!

Don't even try to imagine. I also think .bomb is much better than US Scareways website!

Shareholders need to take their rights, and STOP this merger, and FIRE Tilton and Parker, give them a minor stock bonus as their compensation for firing them, maybe 1000 shares, they can then sit and pray the next CEO can turn their 1000 shares upward and not implode them like they are experts at doing.

Wow, I don't even want to imagine what US's system is like if you are actually recommending .bomb over it!

Having flown UA during IRROPS, I can safetly say that UA's .bomb website and UA's EZUPdates, and heck their IT system in general if compared to US's SHARES system is like comparing a Ferrari (UA) to a 1960s VW bug (US).

There simply is no comparison, and yes US's IT system is really that bad.

The only good thing is that US doesn't limit you to *Net for awards, but on my last award ticket it took 15 minutes to ticket since I had all of the flight numbers and almost an hour for their computer system to decide to take my credit card. According to the agent, due to computer issues.

UA's website you can pretty much book anything you want. US's website, well, it will ignore routing rules if you tell it multicity and instead price everything out segment by segment. US's website has issues with *A partners even being listed. UA's site you can at least get them to list.

UA has all of the EZUpdate stuff. US has none.

In short US's mgmt knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. They will trip over themselves to pick up a dime and miss a dollar sitting nearby.

Shareholders need to take their rights, and STOP this merger, and FIRE Tilton and Parker, give them a minor stock bonus as their compensation for firing them, maybe 1000 shares, they can then sit and pray the next CEO can turn their 1000 shares upward and not implode them like they are experts at doing.

You really think that the shareholders have such rights? Try to prove mismanagement. You'll be mired in lawsuits forever. Have you ever read the employment contracts that these guys have? Booting them out without buying them out is not a trivial task.