For good information at this second (11P Eastern), Bloomberg has a good story: http://www.bloomberg.com/bbn/topfin....s_MBOQVUFMIENv

Boy, this merger raises a lot of interesting questions:

1. What other moves will other airlines be pressured into making? Will Delta go after Continental again, esp. with the CO/NW partnership fizzling? Will AA make a bid again like last time?

2. The US Shuttle in the northeast will become the United Shuttle? They'd better think of another name!

3. UA pledged to keep all US routes for 2 years, but you have to think that longer-term, the Philadelphia gateway to Europe goes away, all these short-haul routes in the northeast get curtailed. It seems to me the only things UA is guaranteed not to touch are the Northeast Shuttles and the Northeast-Florida routes.

4. As with all airline mergers, you can expect vacation routes heavy in demand for use of miles to get worse, i.e. Bermuda and Florida.

A UA-US combination becomes by far the largest carrier in a number of markets where US did not dominate before- Boston, Washington-National, LaGuardia.

United's stock will fall a lot tomorrow. Any carrier buying one that has a higher cost structure and is paying a 100% premium and will have to go through the antitrust wringer will not have a rising stock price.

Just some random thoughts from someone who JUST found out.