Airline passenger news and views

Many things that affect the British traveler start in America and so I have been interested to watch the impending merger of United and Continental Airlines.

By itself, this bit of corporate re-organisation will not have much effect on us over here but it should be viewed as part of a growing trend of consolidation.  In the background, another American carrier, Southwest Airlines are trying to buy competitors AirTran and this puts more pressure on the regulators.

The problem is finding a balance between efficiency and passenger competitiveness. Big airlines do operate more economically. They also rip competition out of the market, push up prices and reduce choice on routes and times. For the regulators, this is a tough call. But, the trend is clear, and watching British Airways should give us an idea of where our market is going.

Back in the USA, American Airlines, lost out badly after Delta and Northwest merged. Business travelers demand integrated route choice and only the bigger airlines can offer this.

For America today, read Europe in two years time.