Here is the real nugget out of that article....
One of the chief assets Northwest brings to the merger is its dominance of U.S. routes to Asia, something that Delta and many other airlines lack.
"The crown jewel of any of these mergers is Northwest's access to Asia," said George Hoffer, an industry analyst and a professor of economics at Virginia Commonwealth University. "Northwest is the smallest of the carriers that is up for sale, yet it has the greatest bottom line potential because of its access to Asia. That is the real benefit to Delta."