I'm really not sure where to post this - BA, AA, One World...? Oh well.

Just a heads-up for those involved in advance travel planning that the Wall Street Journal among others is announcing that America West is about to be merged with USAir as part of US' emergence from bankruptcy protection. Apparently the USAir label will be retained. The merger is being aided through investment from Air Canada's holding company, along with GE which is a big part of USAir's legions of creditors, also Airbus, plus various other holding companies and bankers.

A couple of thoughts come to mind as this unfolds. First, I doubt of BA's partnership with HP will last very long once they are swallowed by US and Star Alliance. Second, if HP goes away it will mean the Pacific coast and the US southwest will be served only by AS as a significant remaining BA partner, since AA has decided to curtail its western ops virtually to extinction.

Notwithstanding AS' recent (IMO) hamfisted approach with its unions I keep thinking this might be an opportunity for BA to ramp up the pressure on AA and AS to get AS into OW. AS is expanding its Canadian and Mexican destinations (just got LAX-MEX authority) and as AA turns its attention more to transpacific ops it just seems like it would be in BA's interest to have a solid OW partner in the western US besides AA.