I hear all these fears that MSP will be de-hubbed or shrunken. However, I've noticed that most of my SJC-SLC-XXX routings have been changed to SJC-MSP-XXX routings where XXX is any city east of MSP. If anything, I've seen more flights into MSP on those MD-90's with 160 seats (which aren't the most customer friendly aircraft). However, the author seemed to forget that the DC-9's don't have a rear galley either and all service is from the front galley.

Is anyone surprised that the planes are more full? Even if the two airlines didn't merge, they both would have had to have found ways to pack in their planes at these high fuel costs by cutting capacity. This would have led to more Denied Boarding situations (which isn't bad since IDB is cash and VDB can be good for a nice large voucher) even if the merger didn't happen.

This is a huge merger of two companies with very different corporate cultures. NWA was heavily unionized and DL had very few unions. If that isn't a corporate culture clash, then I don't know what is. Compared to what I've read about the HP/US merger, this one is seems to be going really well.

Well, I'm happy I really don't worry about value for my SkyPesos (otherwise, I'd be long gone from DL).