Continental and United to Announce Merger.

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http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=CAL
Continental Airlines Inc. and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines are expected to announce Monday that they are merging to form the world's largest airline, people familiar with the matter said.
...
Continental already has agreed in theory to allow the combined airline to be based in Chicago, United's home base, and to retain the United name, according to those people familiar with the matter.
Jeff Smisek, Continental's chief executive officer, would become CEO of the merged carrier; Glenn Tilton, UAL's CEO, would become non-executive chairman for two years, after which Mr. Smisek would take over that role too, those people familiar with the matter said.
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Full story here.
 
Any idea how this will impact the pilots?
 
OK, so what do you get when you merge 2 money losing companies, besides 1 big money losing company?
 
Heh, let's come up with a new name for the airline, using letters from "United" and "Continental". :D
 
wabower said:
If it's like most mergers, they'll have the seniority system worked out in, oh, five-10 years or so at best.
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Nah...all they need to do is stretch it out long enough that when they figure it out, the last pilot who was hired before the merger had retired the day before, making all the effort to merge seniority moot.
 
YAAAAAAY!!!!!!

I have a lot of miles on my United Miles Plus account. I figured moving to Jersey I would have to go with a Continental credit card, since we'll be maybe 30mins from Newark Aerodrome. Looks like I don't have to worry anymore.

From a selfishly personal standpoint, this works for me!
 
I wonder if the new company will figure out how to deplane passengers stuck on the ramp. Moreover, I wonder if the new, giant company will have completely new management that actually knows what day it is and in what year, and isn't running the company like its 1985 still.
 
SkyHog said:
I wonder if the new company will figure out how to deplane passengers stuck on the ramp. Moreover, I wonder if the new, giant company will have completely new management that actually knows what day it is and in what year, and isn't running the company like its 1985 still.
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Well, Nick, of the traditional carriers, Continental has been running a somewhat better operation than most; but inasmuch as they are moving the HQ for the whole magilla to Chicago, and keeping the United name, I look for it to be a bad deal for us down here in Texas, which is losing Continental's HQ. Of course, the President of the combined shop is going to be the current Pres of CO, not sure how much that matters.
 
Trapper John said:
OK, so what do you get when you merge 2 money losing companies, besides 1 big money losing company?
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A lot of whining, unhappy customers & higher fares. Just look at some of the issues that Delta/Northwest has had in the customer service department since tthe merger. And look at the faree increases they've pushed through in some markets.

Trapper John said:
Heh, let's come up with a new name for the airline, using letters from "United" and "Continental". :D
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That's easy Con-U.
 
wsuffa said:
A lot of whining, unhappy customers & higher fares. Just look at some of the issues that Delta/Northwest has had in the customer service department since tthe merger. And look at the faree increases they've pushed through in some markets.
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But the guys in the executive suite will make out just fine, I'm sure...

That's easy Con-U.
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:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Countdown for Delta to buy someone out to maintain 'top dog' honors.... 3.... 2.....
 
I look for AA to finally re-enter the acquisition fray. Prediction: Alaska.
 
SCCutler said:
I look for AA to finally re-enter the acquisition fray. Prediction: Alaska.
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They'd still be a distant third - they don't have the global heft of the other two. US would buy them a bit more internationally. Domestically, they'd be better off with JetBlue as opposed to Alaska.

Alaska also code-shares with Delta, my bet is that Alaska is happy with the dual-code-share arrangement.
 
wsuffa said:
A lot of whining, unhappy customers & higher fares. Just look at some of the issues that Delta/Northwest has had in the customer service department since tthe merger. And look at the faree increases they've pushed through in some markets.
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As a non-frequent customer located near the former NWA HQ and major hub I haven't felt much impact from the change other than the ability to use my few FF credits on a bigger route structure.


That's easy Con-U.
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I was thinking more along the lines of UnContinental or CoNited but Con-U has a nice double entendre going for it.
 
SkyHog said:
I wonder if the new company will figure out how to deplane passengers stuck on the ramp. Moreover, I wonder if the new, giant company will have completely new management that actually knows what day it is and in what year, and isn't running the company like its 1985 still.
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UA is one of the very few carriers that actually does have a very clear policy on ramp/ground delays. It's a pretty sensitive policy, even.

Also, UA is doing pretty well compared to the other legacy carriers, especially AA. Actually, given that everybody was expecting them to go out of business just a few years ago, they're doing surprisingly well. There is some management talent there.

-Felix
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Any idea how this will impact the pilots?
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If none of the pilots are happy after the merged seniority, then it has been done in as good a way as possible. If one group or another thinks they made out like bandits, then the merged list wasn't done in a very equitable manner.

And the fact that Mr. Tilton will apparently be gone in a couple of years is a very good thing, IMO.
 
Trapper John said:
Heh, let's come up with a new name for the airline, using letters from "United" and "Continental". :D
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How about InContinental?

Edit: D'oh, I was late and hadn't ready far enough down. TJ beat me.
 
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United will try and reduce the scope of CAL and thier pilots...they will try and "buy" the scope with higher pay for senior pilots and 70 seat CRJ's will be flown on routes flown by CAL 737's...

CAL should be buying UAL not the other way around.!! UAL has been swirling the toilet for years
 
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What's interesting about this is that yesterday at lunch we were talking about this sort of subject and, without having any prior knowledge, the two airlines I mentioned as an example were Continental and United. Maybe I should buy a crystal ball.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
What's interesting about this is that yesterday at lunch we were talking about this sort of subject and, without having any prior knowledge, the two airlines I mentioned as an example were Continental and United. Maybe I should buy a crystal ball.
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I think I have mentioned it here before. Maybe it was a subliminal recollection. :D
 
I'm not too excited to hear it. I've used Continental to Miami all the time since
TWA shut down. I've had good luck with them and their people have always been nice. Once in a while I've used AA .. but they usually act like they
dont' care if you're there or not.

I used to use United all the time .. but it got to where I couldn't complete a trip without a problem somewere along the way so I quit flying on them.
(Sorry Greg).

I guess it might be time to start using SWA to go down there ... but they
go to FLL and MIA is closer to where I go.

RT
 
RogerT said:
(Sorry Greg).
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It is what it is.

Look, I won't deny that it hurts me when people bad mouth the place where I work. But I am not so blind that I cannot see that a lot of the criticism is well deserved.

I just fervently pray that most of our upper management gets shown the door in the post merger airline.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
It is what it is.

Look, I won't deny that it hurts me when people bad mouth the place where I work. But I am not so blind that I cannot see that a lot of the criticism is well deserved.

I just fervently pray that most of our upper management gets shown the door in the post merger airline.
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Including your people who price your tickets. It's $100 cheaper to fly NRT-SFO-SEA than NRT-SEA?
 
The reactions here in Houston are largely negative, for a number of reasons:

1) We stand to lose a MAJOR employer in Houston (the 4th-largest). Granted, the jobs are likely safe for the near- and mid-term, but ALL of the corporate jobs will either be gone altogether or shipped to Chicago, which hurts our economy here.

2) People complain about UAL's policy of nickeling and diming their passengers for food, extra legroom, bag fees, etc. The sad thing is, COA has been slowly going down this road too, and just started charging for extra leg room seats (read: exit row) as of 4/1/10. Telling their customers to 'Buy your own damn lunch' is likely right around the corner, which is sad because thus far, that is what has really set COA apart from other carriers - they actually give you food, and a somewhat decent amount.

3) People who haven't flown UAL in the past 24 months are fearing their customer service, or lack thereof. Those who have flown them in the past couple of years have made the realization as I have that there has been a vast improvement in that area of late.

4) COA is part of our history, from the very early TTA days, through Texas International and ultimately Continental, it's always been 'Houston's Airline'. It will be very sad to see that go.

On the bright side, we should be seeing some different airlines and aircraft come through Houston, that will be cool. And, they would likely keep IAH as a huge hub, since it gives great access to Mexico, Latin, and South America. The two route networks would complement each other nicely, giving better direct access to more places, domestically and abroad, so that would be cool too.

One thing I can say for sure is that it will certainly be interesting to see how things shake out!
 
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