What Does the Delta/Northwest Merger Mean for You?
An integration of snacks? Probably, but the announced merger of Delta and Northwest will certainly mean much more for consumers who fly either airline.
For starters, consumers will have less choice as to what carrier they choose to fly on many routes.
The proposed merger will also create the United States largest airline. In a mass email I received from Northwest today, sent to members of WorldPerks, their frequent flyer program, Northwest stated that “We will be the only U.S. airline to offer direct service from the United States to all of the worlds major business centers in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa and around North America.”
The merger of Delta and Northwest will mean the end of the name Northwest as the airline will simply merge into a giant Delta empire of staff and planes. Northwest says that the merger will take 6-8 months to be approved and until then the airlines will continue to operate separately. The benefit for WorldPerks members is that “Once the new Delta Air Lines emerges you can look forward to being a part of the worlds largest frequent flyer program with expanded benefits.”
As a frequent flyer of both Delta and Northwest, I have mixed feelings on the merger. I now reside in Amsterdam and both Delta and Northwest offer flights from Amsterdam to the United States. The merger will mean I have less choice and price options when flying back to the US to see friends and family. On the plus side, my frequent flyer miles will merge leaving me with a large stash of miles and more options as to how I want to use them.
Personally, I hope the merger doesn’t go through though as I view the deal as anti-competitive in the long run. The airlines are promising to keep all their hubs and staff, but whether that promise is kept remains to be seen.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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POSTED IN: Consumer Awareness, Corporate, Living, Politics
2 opinions for What Does the Delta/Northwest Merger Mean for You?
Heather- The New York City Traveler
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Great post, Alex. I was completely surprised that Delta came to an agreement with its pilots– that was the major sticking point last month.
I think this possible merger will spark other mergers. As I former United Airlines flight attendant, I know that United does not like to be outdone. I think we can look for United and Continental to resume merger talks, in the end leaving just a few “major” carriers.
Currently, I am flight attendant for a very profitable airline, one of just a few which has not been in bankruptcy, and we are all holding our breath for the fallout of this Delta-Northwest deal.
Alex
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Thanks for the great inside info Heather. That’s greatly appreciated!
And yes I’m sure we’ll see another big merger to follow this one that creates less competition on many routes.
I’m glad to see Virgin Atlantic making a *splash* into the American market, will be interesting to see how that unfolds in the coming years.
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