Up In The Air

We've become conditioned to doubt that a merger is going to be all that beneficial. (Daimler Chrysler anyone?) But it's been fascinating to see how little fear or criticism has developed around the announcement that Northwest and Delta are going into a marriage that will create the world's biggest airline. Is the near universal embrace of this partnership a sign of the general optimism regarding its success, or are we so starved for an economic booster-shot in southeast Michigan that we're willing to skip right past critical examination for fear that we might find trouble with the treasure chest that's been delivered to our door?
Well, at the risk of spitting on the candle of hope, keep an eye on several areas of potential worry. The pilots, mechanics and flight attendants could all cause union worries. (A flight attendant tells me that not only are they concerned about marrying Delta's non-union flight attendants with the unionized group from Northwest, but they've been told it could take up to a year to train each other on the other airline's planes.) But with the price of jet fuel pushing ticket prices ever higher, there will be more than a little opposition on Capitol Hill for a merger that will take one more layer of competition out of the quickly depleting airline cake. So while dreams of the Detroit-Willow Run aerotropolis dance in your head, nothing is a done deal yet.
- Devin