Originally Posted by Hedley

So…… in this hypothetical merger with JB, where is the real incentive for UA? Yes, Kirby wants back into JFK, but at what cost? What else do they have that UA would be willing to pay top dollar for? A stronger presence in a lower yield Florida market, BOS slots? Some things that would come with the deal that UA definitely doesn’t want is their debt load, an aircraft type that isn’t wanted, the cost/time of parking the A220 and configuring the 320’s to the UA configuration, the high cost and time of a merger when dealing with training and labor contracts………. Another factor is that the government would certainly require the merged entity to divest slots in the one market that UA really wants and that started these rumors. Sacrificing slots in the NY/EWR market in order to gain approval would make any potential deal even more financially unattractive to UA. I can see a situation where JB gets into the Star Alliance, or where UA attempts to pick up JFK slots in a potential JB bankruptcy, but not a full scale merger/acquisition. That would be like buying a beater car that needs a lot of expensive work because it has a great stereo system. JB definitely has some prime pieces, but they’re not worth the cost of acquiring the company to get them.