AirTran Reporter

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Indianapolis

I was thinking last night and i thought this: Why doesn't USAirways try to merge/buy Northwest? It seems like NW will be in bankruptcy longer than Delta and their route systems/hubs would compliment each other pretty well. The hubs in a combined NW/US airline would be PHL, DTW, MSP, MEM, CLT, PHX, LAS and a few focus cities thrown in. You wouldn't have the close proximity of the hubs like you would with a US/DL combo...NW has a great asian network as well as a gret European network via the codeshare with KLM. There is also a lot of fleet commonality--both use the Airbus A319/320, A330, even some boeing jets. What does anyone else think? I think there would be less anti-trust issues as well with a US/NW merger.

Member

Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 106
Location:

I agree completely. a US/NW merger would make a lot more sense than DL. US has made a new website: http://www.buildabetterairline.com with info on the merger proposition. It has combined route maps available for domestic and international. The east coast is a mess of lines that you can't make out. The route networks don't complement well at all. And the fleets would be a mess with Delta. US flies the A319, A320, A321, A330, 737-300, 737-400, 757-200, and 767-200. DL flies no Airbus a/c at all and flies 737-200 and -800, as well as different versions of the 767 plus the 777. Sounds like a mess to combine.