Mega merger will create world's largest airline

 

PHOENIX - The finishing touches on an airline mega-merger are expected to happen Friday.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines will become the world's largest airline and be based in Chicago.

The new airline will operate under United Airlines using the Continental Airlines logo.

At Sky Harbor International Airport, passengers will see some slight changes.

Currently United and Continental are next to one another in Terminal 2 and the signs at the ticket counters will be replaced with United Airlines' new look.

Employees will soon have new uniforms, but it will likely be a few months before tickets are sold through a single website.

According to the United Airlines website, and a website designed by the two airlines for frequently asked questions for passengers, fares are not expected to increase due to competition from low cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines, however, some passengers aren't buying it.

"Mergers decrease competition and sometimes prices then increase," said Henry Miller after printing his boarding pass to San Francisco.

"I'm taking a cautious wait-and-see attitude," said Pablo Stewart after leaving the United Airlines ticket counter.

According to the airline, frequent flier miles after the merger will remain active for both airlines.

It could be years before it's known if the merger is a success for passengers, the company or both.

At Sky Harbor , employees from Continental and United are expected to have a meeting Friday to discuss details of the merger.

It will likely take several months before the two airlines operate as one.

The Southwest-Airtran merger will open up new markets, which in the end will benefit consumers in Arizona who want to travel to places like Mexico and the Caribbean.

They’re now going to have 100 airports that they fly into and look for pretty good opportunities when it comes to destinations, said Jim Prueter, AAA travel specialist.

But because the merger is pending and the airlines are still separate entities, keep doing the same things you have been when it comes to doing business with these two airlines, Prueter said.

“We won’t see anything [change] until the first half of 2011,” he added.

Continue to book the way you book because they’re still two separate airlines and it will be that way for another six months.

Once the two airlines start merging, you’ll see slight changes when it comes to branding. AirTran fleet will change to Southwest logos and colors.

Reservation and ticketing systems, as well as web sites, bag fees, seat assignments and each carrier’s frequent flyer programs will also be combined over time, Prueter said.

If you purchased an airline ticket through a travel agent and you’re worried about the merger effect, call and ask your agent.

Airlines, in most cases, will notify travelers of schedule changes, Prueter said.

However, if you booked directly through an airline, it’s always a good idea to check flight times/itineraries a few weeks and then immediately prior to departure.

Prueter said it’s not a bad idea to consider buying travel insurance, but make sure you read the fine print so you understand what is covered.

Be sure it includes coverage for a travel company’s possible bankruptcy or failure to deliver on a trip, Prueter said.