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• Frequent fliers: Mad as hell and not taking it anymore?

  Posted Mar 26 2009, 03:28 PM by Minyanville
  Rating:
  Filed under: airlines, Southwest, AMR, Continental, Northwest, US Airways, Todd Harrison
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  The airlines are struggling these days, much like everyone else.

  In its effort to provide essential business and economic news and information to Minyans the world over, Minyanville.com has already covered the most critical trends, such as Ryanair (RYAAY) contemplating the first pay toilets inside commercial airliners.

  As a frequent flier on US Air (LCC), I received a notice saying they were no longer going to charge for soda and water. Holy catfish. Not only is US Air unpopular with geese, they apparently wanted to antagonize the entire population (good thing they're stopping).

  But what grotesquely overpaid executive thought up the idea of charging for soda and water in the first place? Probably the same executive who thought up in-flight pay toilets, which makes me suspect this advice could be coming from roaming consultants.

  This is the kind of stuff you just can’t make up. The severity of the economic pinch on airlines is no secret. But some of this is getting ridiculous.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 89 comments) 37,592 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Delta becomes the world's largest airline

  Posted Oct 29 2008, 02:10 PM by Kim Peterson
  Rating:
  Filed under: airlines, Delta, Northwest, Kim Peterson
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  Say goodbye to another airline, now that the Justice Department has approved Delta's $2.6 billion purchase of Northwest Airlines. And that's not a bad thing, given the miserable state of the airline industry these days.

  The merger will produce the world's largest airline, which will continue to be called Delta. Northwest shareholders will get 1.25 Delta shares for each share they own in the all-stock deal.

  Even though the companies have been meticulously planning the marriage, it'll still take up to three years to integrate them. There will be a bit of culture clash at first, particularly since Delta is mostly non-union (except for its pilots) and Northwest is unionized.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 280 comments) 116,806 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Ad Force One

  Posted Jul 15 2008, 12:21 PM by Minyanville
  Rating:
  Filed under: Continental, Coca-Cola, Delta, Northwest, UAL, Exxon, Chevron, Todd Harrison
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  Coming soon to the airline boarding pass clutched in your hot little hand: advertisements.

  Printing advertisements on the boarding pass is part of airlines’ continuing frantic search for new sources of revenue to offset higher fuel prices. Here’s betting it will be less painful than getting dinged $15 to check a second suitcase.

  The effort, initially adopted by Delta Air Lines, is scheduled to begin Tuesday on flights to Las Vegas. However, ads will soon appear on the airline’s boarding passes to all domestic destinations.   Read More...

  Discuss (no comments) 3,160 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Delta donks the deal

  Posted Feb 26 2008, 02:24 PM by Matt Koppenheffer
  Rating:
  Filed under: airlines, Delta, Northwest
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  The other day I noted the wrench that airline pilots had thrown in the plans for Delta and Northwest to merge. It appears today that the potential tie-up has come to nearly a complete stop as an internal Delta memo drew a line in the sand as far as what the company sees necessary for a deal to work.
  
  According to The Wall Street Journal, the memo was signed by both Delta's CEO and CFO and said that keeping the airline based in Atlanta and maintaining seniority for all of its employees were requirements for any deal to move forward. Outside of those conditions being met, Delta plans to continue to focusing on making it as a stand-alone airline.
  
  What's yet unclear is the real meaning of the memo. Given the fact that this supposedly internal memo got leaked, I can't help but wonder if it's simply a pressure tactic by Delta in an attempt to get Northwest to bow to its demands. Neither company is currently in an overly conservative financial position, but many think that a combined entity could take advantage of economies of scale that would help combat high oil prices and heavy competition from discount carriers.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 81 comments) 76,629 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Merging in the friendly skies

  Posted Feb 22 2008, 01:32 PM by Matt Koppenheffer
  Rating:
  Filed under: airlines, Delta, Northwest
  Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money

  For a few weeks now, Delta Air Lines, the third-largest U.S. airline by traffic, and Northwest Airlines, the fifth largest, have been in talks to combine. The combination would create a new leader in U.S. air traffic and hopefully give the combined company significant synergies and economies of scale.
  
  The negotiations have hit a bit of a snag though, as pilots have been unable to come to an agreement about how the seniority list of the new company would look. According to The Wall Street Journal, this list dictates everything from how much the pilots are paid, to what kinds of planes they fly and when they get time off. Though the hitch could be resolved, The Journal cited unnamed sources as saying the deal could be called off if an agreement isn't reached soon.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 35 comments) 9,369 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this