Delta May Buy American Airlines - What Happens to My Miles?
Jan 12, 2012, 7:16 pm
#16
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Typical Posturing
AA playing games with US for better price, just like CO teased US to get better deal from UA.
OTOH DL could be trying to drive the price of AA too high for US, and AA, if it wants to avoid US, may be playing along.
Anyway gov't would never allow AA/DL to merge.
OTOH DL could be trying to drive the price of AA too high for US, and AA, if it wants to avoid US, may be playing along.
Anyway gov't would never allow AA/DL to merge.
Jan 12, 2012, 8:55 pm
#18
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Your AA miles would become DL SkyPesos, and you'd suddenly find your awards cost far more because of poor availability. Enjoy your AA miles while they last.
Jan 12, 2012, 9:00 pm
#19
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I agree, and I would thus not make any mileage plans with such a merger in mind. This would create something close to a duopoly with United. There would be United, Delta, and then a huge drop off to US Airways, Alaska and the LCCs. I can't believe this would happen under a Republican administration, much less a Democratic one.
Jan 12, 2012, 10:33 pm
#21
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Jan 12, 2012, 10:38 pm
#22
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But I agree - I want more award options...let's hope DL and AA remain separate.
Jan 12, 2012, 11:59 pm
#25
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Jan 13, 2012, 12:36 am
#26
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Just read that combined airline would only control 25% of air traffic, that's actually pretty low and well below other mergers approved in recent years, i.e. Coors-Miller, AT&T, Verizon-MCI-GTE, etc. There are plenty of viable competitors and aviation is very competitive as evidenced by fares being lower than rate of inflation. Not to mention dozens of international carriers competing.
OTOH the DOJ will look at overlapping routes, seems to me there are quite a few unlike UA/CO and DL/NW where for the most part each airline was stronger in certain regions and certain international areas.
US/AA would certainly have a much easier time getting DOJ approval but DL/AA is not a complete nonstarter, as AT&T-T-Mobile clearly was.
The more interesting question is what would happen to the alliances. Neither OneWorld nor SkyTeam can really afford to lose its anchor airline in the US.
OTOH the DOJ will look at overlapping routes, seems to me there are quite a few unlike UA/CO and DL/NW where for the most part each airline was stronger in certain regions and certain international areas.
US/AA would certainly have a much easier time getting DOJ approval but DL/AA is not a complete nonstarter, as AT&T-T-Mobile clearly was.
The more interesting question is what would happen to the alliances. Neither OneWorld nor SkyTeam can really afford to lose its anchor airline in the US.
Jan 13, 2012, 12:54 am
#27
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Jan 13, 2012, 2:14 am
#28
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I was wondering exactly the same things! Glad I'm not the only one losing sleep over this.
Jan 13, 2012, 4:26 am
#30
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During the bankruptcy might be a good time to book AA awards, if this is a risk.
It would be unfortunate if DL buys the airline - setting aside the miles devaluation, would there even be a North American oneworld carrier anymore? Mexicana? Getting miles for JAL/Cathay/LAN/Qantas awards in the US would become much tougher.
It would be unfortunate if DL buys the airline - setting aside the miles devaluation, would there even be a North American oneworld carrier anymore? Mexicana? Getting miles for JAL/Cathay/LAN/Qantas awards in the US would become much tougher.
Last edited by excalibur713; Jan 13, 2012 at 4:27 am Reason: completeness