Originally Posted by
FWAAA
What nobody has yet explained is how a very low-wage airline (US) will combine with a still-higher-wage-even-after-bankruptcy-airline (AA) and make it work. Once AA emerges from Ch 11, you can't easily chop AA's employee wages and benefits any further (short of another Ch 11 filing). The US employees' wages and benefits would probably have to be brought up to AA's wages and benefits, and that would make US very unprofitable.
None of the analysts have even attempted to explain how a marriage between low-wage US and higher-wage AA works. And all the "Wall St" money that supposedly is going to bankroll Parker's takeover of AA will eventually notice the wage and benefit disparity.
No one has explained this because as you mention, the thought of this is insane.
The other thing that no one has mentioned are the alliances - There is no way conceivable that Star will accept the US/AA combination and US's cost to get out of Star would be significant and messy.
Bottom line in my opinion is that they are going to bootstrap their way out of this maybe with the help of a financial partner or dissolve.. I think that it can go either way..