A merger was announced between the two airlines over 7 years ago and it fell apart with pressure from the clinton and then bush administration...it was felt at the time that both airlines were very healthy and could make it on their own.
I lost some quarter million dollars in stock and think it unlikely to see this merger happen today.
The pilots at United alpa help to conceive a merger policy that through out date of hire. THAT CONCEPT HELPED TO REMOVE ALPA AT USAIR on April 17 of this year.
All the arguments against DOH (date of hire seniority integration) included such concepts as "healthy airlines" taking over airlines headed for trouble and that one airline SAVED another.
Well, you can't have that argument both ways, because United LOST more money than USAIR did.
IF it (the merger) does happen, I hope the concept of DOH will prevail. It is the easy to do, no arbitrator, nothing but a number.
But I don't think this merger will happen...same with Delta/Northwest