This is a win-win offer for Doug either way. If it goes through, he has the DL assets that he needs. If it fails, it likely will cost DL more to emerge due to increased payments to creditors. In effect, he has driven up costs. Additionally, dealing with this offer is taking up time and effort of Delta's, a competitor's, management team.
There really is not much of a downside for Doug.
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aislehopper,
An EXCELLANT point, my dear friend !
Though I don't think that DP did this with that anywhere near the top of his priority list, it still becomes a PROBLEM for DL.
I can't quite make up my mind, if UAL is sitting back and analizing this "whole process"(meaning all party's concerned)
In other words, looking at the legacy "pairings", I see UAL(a KNOWN consolidationist), being ONLY interested in 2 carriers.....CO, or DL.
If the US offer is Ultimately rejected(though received somewhat warmly on the majority of issues), then that will be the time, that UAL "plays their hand", that being a BETTER/HIGHER/more simplistic offer for DL, or stand "pat"
For other than US, it makes perfect sense,for AA/UA/CO/NW, to "observe" this Initial "fray" into the Looooog awaited, Loooong predicted consolidation period.
NH/BB's