Originally Posted by
Ludicrous Speed
Anyone stop and think that this could be a good thing? Airline customers want and should have choice. Consolidation (with airlines and in general) is not good for the economy. It shouldn't be incumbent on the gov't to approve mergers because **** poor management has put airlines in a position in which they feel that they have to merge to continue.
Monopolies "calling the shots" is bad. More airlines = more competition and that is good.
I would tend to agree with this except that the Feds didn't stop the UAL-CAL merger or the DAL-NWA. For them to suddely decide this one is anti-competitive is too little too late. Blocking it could leave AA at a serious competitive disadvantage. If you want to make the case that the mergers hurt competition than you're late to the ball game. The Fed's should let this go through. Otherwise DAL and UAL will be the two major players and the Fed's will end up with precisely the opposite of what the want. Instead of more competition they will have less. It's the irony of government intervention.