Originally Posted by
Hedley
I honestly don’t know how all of this will turn out, all that I am certain of is that those who are making those calls don’t come here for advice. I still think that the big 4 would rather wait it out and pay top dollar for the prime pieces in a bidding war than to take on the time and expense of a merger and end up with a bunch of unwanted debt, expenses, equipment, and employees just to acquire the few parts that they do want.
Top 2 or 3 are greedy. It does UA no favors to have to share assets and slots at JFK with say a Delta and AA. Kirby has said several times that if you're not #1 or #2 in a market you're not anything. If he wants to be top 2 billing at BOS, JFK and FLL, then waiting for a CH 7 which could be years away and then having to battle 1/2 dozen other airlines for scraps doesn't help your strategy. Sometimes you have to pay a premium to ensure you get what you want.