It's been rehashed endlessly on this board but here are the main reasons in my opinion:
It will:
- Result in fewer jobs as we have almost complete route overlap.
- Increase the DL employees time in BK by a year or more when they were ready to exit.
- Create instability by adding two unmerged groups of employees to our 45000 employees.
- Add massive debt to our bottom line. Debt that was used to buy us.
- Drive more mergers with us being left in the weakest one.
- Leave a vacuum of divested routes for competitors to step into. Ready made markets for them.
You're just repeating false claims from people who don't want this to happen and are saying anything to sell their point.
There will be no layoffs period. None. Zero. If you have a job today you will have one after the merger. Except for a few management positions that do not need duplication and these people will be well compensated.
The new merged DL will emerge from BK by mid 2007.
The integration of HP and US will be done before we integrate US-DL. In fact, the entire merger process is well ahead of plan. It was initially a 3 year forecast which will now be done in less than 2 years.
The debt carried by the merged carrier will be less in proportion to size as the stand-alone DL would have.
Further consolidation may or may not happen but what is done will be limited by the DOJ. Doubtful the new DL would be the weakest airline.
Competitors will take over a few duplicate routes which is good and necessary for the merger.
Bottom line, is the new DL will be a stronger, more stable company after it merges with US.If DL tries to stand-alone, it will struggle to be profitable and may face another round of BK in a couple of years. Nothing against DL, but the industry has shown it cannot survive with business as usual. DL's new plan is business as usual, it needs to look in another direction and Doug and company are paving the way. If you don't want US, then look for someone else.