Potential '08 Merger

[jimntx]

Back to the thread topic...


I just heard on NPR that today Delta asked permission of the Feds (anti-trust concerns, you know) for permission to explore merger possibilities/conduct merger talks (I don't remember exactly how it was phrased) with both Northwest and United!!!!

Either one of those would be a formidable combination.

 

[does this plane go to paris]

And the statement about business travelers not being loyal is absurd. Most NW Elites are know are very loyal to NW. Ditto with poor customer service. I've had no more bad experiences with NW than I've had with other carriers, and that's not that many to begin with.

I became an elite with NWA several years ago traveling weekly between LAS/DTW on a project. After about 3 month's just couldn't do it anymore. The employee's are rude, don't care and the planes were awful. Tried Amer. West, but that was just as bad and ended up doing a connection in DEN or ORD on UA. Pre 9/11, couldn't beat the service.

Fast forward a few years and I got called to DTW at the last minute and the ONLY option was NWA, even after I swore them off. Bought a full fare first class refundable ticket on their 2p flt to DTW. Around noon, I asked my secretary to pull up boarding pass but the system said, nope, there's a problem. Get to the airport and they said that my reservation was already taken and that I was on the noon departure. I looked at the woman and asked her how that was. She reluctently typed something and said "oop's" Seems that there was another pax who was on the same flt that I was on got to the airport early and asked about going home sooner. The agent pulled up my reservation, saw that it was refundable/first class, confirmed him on noon flt and sent him packing. By this time, first class is full along with coach and I had to go standby. no apology, no attempts trying to do anything, just go to the gate and we'll add you to the stand by list. The supervisor didn't understand why I was upset.

Who ever get's this piece of sh$t and shinola deserves them.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

NxNW,

It amazes me(all these posters bad mouthing BIG RED)

Though they'll probably never attempt a "roll in the hay", AMR, and us AAers know FULL WELL the power of BIG RED.

I keep praying everyday, that somehow/someway the 2 carriers could get together .

Whats that old saying ???........"One mans ceiling IS another mans FLOOR"

Silly RABBITS !

 

[DalMD88]

"We...Northwest Employees, have been at a state of WAR since our mechanics were sit in the streets in lieu of CHEAP OUTSOURCING, and the canx. of the Flight attendants contract, that took over 65 years to build. I can almost guarantee a WW111 "IF" the Northwest name disappears in any merger. MSP-DTW /Atl..good luck!"

If that was your idea of a war I guess you are taking lessons from the French Army. When AMFA was shown the door did the rest of the union workforce standbeside them or did you just step aside? Did you join them on the picket lines? Did you refuse to fly on jets maintained by SCABS? No, the other unions at NW did not rally behind the AMFA workers in any meaingful way.

 

[jimntx]

If that was your idea of a war I guess you are taking lessons from the French Army. When AMFA was shown the door did the rest of the union workforce standbeside them or did you just step aside? Did you join them on the picket lines? Did you refuse to fly on jets maintained by SCABS? No, the other unions at NW did not rally behind the AMFA workers in any meaingful way.

Thus, the decline of unions and unionism in the U.S. When I was growing up in Birmingham, AL in the 50's, it was the most unionized city in the South due to the coal, iron, and steel mining and manufacturing. If a union went on strike--for instance, the janitors at USS steelworks in Fairfield--no other union from USS or any other company would cross their picket line. Strikes tended to be of short duration.

The only time a strike lasted a long time was when USS tried to resist the idea of company-paid health benefits for unionized employees (which was just about everyone except management). The strike lasted almost a year, IIRC, and in the end the company started paying the majority of the health insurance premium. That was the union's "concession". They had been asking for health insurance fully funded by the company.

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Obviously, the big hedge funds involved with Delta prefer a marriage with United. They stand to gain a much bigger pay day if they steer it to United.

Don't pretend that this has nothing to do with the hype from November... it is rooted in the same talks.

 

[luv2fly]

Obviously, the big hedge funds involved with Delta prefer a marriage with United. They stand to gain a much bigger pay day if they steer it to United.

Don't pretend that this has nothing to do with the hype from November... it is rooted in the same talks.

Other than Pardus, who are the "big hedge funds" desiring a DL/UA merge?
I don't deny these hedge funds are part of the consolidation push right now, I just wouldn't think they have enough power to command exactly what carriers should marry.

 

[delta777]

Obviously, the big hedge funds involved with Delta prefer a marriage with United. They stand to gain a much bigger pay day if they steer it to United.

Don't pretend that this has nothing to do with the hype from November... it is rooted in the same talks.

If by "big hedge funds" you mean "Pardus", singular, then yes, they, would benefit quite handsomely should the merger be between UAL and DAL versus NWA/DAL. Now, as for what would make better financial sense as far as the airlines are concerned, it would undoubtedly be a NWA/DAL combination. Pardus themselves admitted that a DAL/NWA combi would produce $1.5 Billion in annual savings/synergies, damn i hate that word, which is 3X the annual savings of $500 million for a DAL/UAL hook-up.

Why does Bethune think combining the #2 and 3 carriers would be any less messy than the #3 and 4?I thought the whole purpose of consolidation was to save money, in which this case NWA/DAL does a better job of, likely at the unfortunate of closing 2 hubs. If Bethune was paid by anyone else, his recommendations would likely be different.

Nevermind the fact that Richard Anderson used to be NWA's CEO. I'd bet we will hear something with regards to a DAL/NWA marriage by mid-February at the latest.

 

[metopower]

The key word is Skyteam the clear direction of this merger talk is to stregthen skyteam . I see a Air France/KLM on one side of the pond and Delta/NWA on this side. But i would not be suprised if CAL was not in there someway. That would be the only Skyteam member not under this umbrella. Not counting KAL and Areo Mexico .Dal and United only helps the hedge funds and that means debt and that is the enemy of the Delta work force. Delta would not risk ruining what they have worked so hard to foster.You have to be inside Delta to understand that things just work alittle diferent around here. Remember the done deal with Usair....Some may dissagree but that is my experience .

 

[delta777]

The key word is Skyteam the clear direction of this merger talk is to stregthen skyteam . I see a Air France/KLM on one side of the pond and Delta/NWA on this side. But i would not be suprised if CAL was not in there someway. That would be the only Skyteam member not under this umbrella. Not counting KAL and Areo Mexico .Dal and United only helps the hedge funds and that means debt and that is the enemy of the Delta work force. Delta would not risk ruining what they have worked so hard to foster.You have to be inside Delta to understand that things just work alittle diferent around here. Remember the done deal with Usair....Some may dissagree but that is my experience .

I agree wholeheartedly. Imagine the immense route structure a DAL/NWA would wield. They compliment one another perfectly. NWA carries more passengers across the Pacific than any other U.S. carrier along with more cargo. Combining NWA's awesome Asian presence, along with their Narita hub, along with Delta's huge European presence, and burgeoning African routes, you have one Hell of an airline route network. This is to say nothing of Delta's South American network or NWA's Amsterdam hub, which could be used for even deeper routes throughout Africa/Asia.

Sounds like a DAL/NWA, Air France/KLM supercarrier.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

I agree wholeheartedly. Imagine the immense route structure a DAL/NWA would wield. They compliment one another perfectly. NWA carries more passengers across the Pacific than any other U.S. carrier along with more cargo. Combining NWA's awesome Asian presence, along with their Narita hub, along with Delta's huge European presence, and burgeoning African routes, you have one Hell of an airline route network. This is to say nothing of Delta's South American network or NWA's Amsterdam hub, which could be used for even deeper routes throughout Africa/Asia.

Sounds like a DAL/NWA, Air France/KLM supercarrier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You delta-ite's will SOON realize that the BEST decision your BOD's EVER made, was bringing Richard Anderson to ATL.

Good luck to you. And I mean that !

Also, DL rampers and AMT's(and most likely) DL F/a's) , will FINALLY wind up UNIONIZED

Unlike some of the friggin' BEAUTY's you guys have had "running the show" in ATL,(think Allen/Mullin) Anderson knows FULL well what the BIG RED employees are capable of, IF he were to start to try to keep the unions out !

I (for one) AM soooo glad the day is VERY soon to arrive, that the Industry(like it or not) Is about to (looooooong overdue) CONSOLIDATE !!!!!!!!!

 

[JAMAKE1]

I have to concur that I see a Delta-Northwest combination over a DL-UA combination for the mere fact that both DL and NW have such a vested relationship with their European partner(s) AF-KLM. As I've mentioned in other threads, my bets are with a DL-NW combination over DL-UA (although a DL-UA combination would be ideal if it wasn't for the tightly-knit relationships with their respective alliance partners).

I am curious about something: Does DL or NWA offer domestic partner benefits to its employees?

 

[WorldTraveler]

DL absolutely is out to boost the position of Skyteam and both sides of the Atlantic have realized having 2 separate carriers in the US won't work. NW is fine for DL as long as they get some of UA's assets, several prime time LHR slot and potentially a China frequency (note that only the most recent routes have restrictions about being transferred). There are clearly a few other places in the world where DL wants a bigger presence and where UA has assets (like Brazil frequencies) that DL needs to have in order to believe that a CO/UA combination doesn't eclipse DL/NW.

 

[JAMAKE1]

I don't think United is going to be selling itself piecemeal...

 

[NYCDelta]

I am curious about something: Does DL or NWA offer domestic partner benefits to its employees?

Delta does.