I can remember vividly when I first heard the announcement that British Airways were going ahead with their take over of BCAL. I was in the USA at the time and I was absolutely gob smacked and devestated by the news.
I'm reminded of the apocryphal
PR statement* from BA, saying that it wasn't a takeover, it was a merger of equals - "We've even merged the names - British from BCAL and Airways from BA."
* Was it Roger Bacon in Straight and Level?