An American Airlines – U.S. Airways merger is expected any time now. Industry watchers say American hasn’t always merged well other carriers in the past. But Holly Hegeman, of Dallas-based PlaneBusiness.com expects a better outcome this time.
She says U.S. Airways is copying the Delta-Northwest Airlines model. Delta negotiated in advance with Northwest unions and she says that merger has worked.
"They took that, used it as a playbook for themselves and said this makes sense. So what they did with American last spring they went and negotiated tentative agreements, with the flight attendants the TWU, and the APA, which represents the pilots. This had never been done before in the U.S. airline industry."
Hegeman also expects U.S. Airways management will take over the larger American, as observers predict. She says American’s unions are so fed up with current executives, the rank and file would shut the airline down if top brass stays.
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