UA + DL? "Legs" or panicky hedge fund managers.

[Doug Taylor]

Like I've always said, there's no media run up to a merger. It's just "announced" after consummation.

Ask any Western pilot!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

...well, wasn't there media run up to the AMWest+ US Airways merger?

I remember reading about it prior to it being official, and there still speculation!

[Doug Taylor]

I don't remember.

There's a lot more money to be made, on the airline side, as acquisition rather than merger if you ask me.

[Minnesota_Flyer]

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

...well, wasn't there media run up to the AMWest+ US Airways merger?

I remember reading about it prior to it being official, and there still speculation!

There usually is a lag of several months between signing a purchase agreement (which is when these things become public) and the closing, which is when it is "official." A lot of stuff has to happen between deal signing and closing, and it is never certain until it actually closes (thus, the speculation). There is extreme secrecy surrounding most merger deals prior to execution of the purchase agreement because the buyer doesn't want some other company to swoop in and poach the deal. (On the other hand, it's not totally unheard of for the target to leak the deal to try to drum up competing offers.)

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

I don't remember.

There's a lot more money to be made, on the airline side, as acquisition rather than merger if you ask me.

I remember reading the new paper and watching the news about the topic for about a week or two.

Lots of speculation and selling of the merger. Like how it would be done, example Mesa giving airways cash for part of merger, or AIrbus doing teh same.

How it would hurt or benefit the community.

Then like the next week done deal, pending governemnt approval.

So, me think the talks had long been underway when the public had heard about it and deals already made, and the spinsters just trying to gauge public reaction, while putting the word out.

But, definitely remember hearing about specualtion before anything offical came out. from both companies!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Didn't DL purchase UAL's JFK-LHR/LHR-JFK slots? So, when will DL being flying to LHR from JFK?

[Doug Taylor]

This might be a shocker, but I really don't follow the airline business THAT closely!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

This might be a shocker, but I really don't follow the airline business THAT closely!

Lol, okay...

I read it somewhere last year, anyone else know anyhting about it?

[tonyw]

Oh, I'm sure the boys at Merrill or Morgan Stanley or Citi or another Wall Street firm would love this to happen. It'd distract everyone from the subprime debacle and they'd make money both when they put the two companies together and when the company filed for chapter 11 due to the synergies not being realized.

[Doug Taylor]

De-risk the re-visioned paradigm shift. Remember Tony, the B2B's are saying that the M&A's will magically erase $100bbl oil PDQ SA!

[JEP]

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

Didn't DL purchase UAL's JFK-LHR/LHR-JFK slots? So, when will DL being flying to LHR from JFK?

Hey Max.....


It's called Google....

and

Delta.com 07/28/06

and

Delta.com - 11/15/06

[flyover]

Originally Posted by tonyw

It'd distract everyone from the subprime debacle .........

Yes, because while "everyone" breathlessly awaits the latest word on the airline business, things that have an actual effect on their home equity, not so much.

[tonyw]

Originally Posted by flyover

Yes, because while "everyone" breathlessly awaits the latest word on the airline business, things that have an actual effect on their home equity, not so much.

Well, if it wasn't a distraction, why did AP breathlessly report it? Plus, MacGyver had to deny it during testimony in Congress?

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by tonyw

Well, if it wasn't a distraction, why did AP breathlessly report it? Plus, MacGyver had to deny it during testimony in Congress?

I love it!

Gimme a mad dog, some snack mix and that... GUM you're chewing on...

[kellwolf]

I'll tell ya what happens when an airline gets bought by another one....both employee groups are caught flat footed saying "WHa???"

I heard a rumor that Pinnacle was buying Colgan, and thought it was hilarious. 6 days later I get an odd call from Seggy: "Dude. I heard you were buying us." Had a laugh that the rumor made it over there....and a little voice in my head said "Nah. Can't be."

Next day the press release hit saying Pinnacle bought Colgan. Before that there was NO media coverage at all, despite the fact that we had been a regional airline with a stock price firing up like a Saturn V rocket.

United's gonna be sold in the next couple of years. I've got no doubt about that. Tilton's even said he wants to merge or sell.....multiple times. If he wound up at a urinal next to another airline CEO, he'd probably start his sales pitch in mid-stream he wants to sell so badly.

As for "merging" the MEM/ATL hubs.....I doubt ATL can handle many more flights. More than likely, MEM would become an overflow hub for a NWA/Delta merged airline. Delays out of here for traffic are pretty much non-existent, and the only times I've ever been told to hold was for WX and a burning FedEx plane on the runway. Add to that the Memphis Airport Authority would LOVE to get Delta flying back in here en mass, and there might even be a sweet tax deal.

[Hootie]

no legs