This $17.7 billion merger will effectively create the world's largest airline (if approved). The new airline will remain headquartered in Atlanta and will operate under the Delta name.
Some people are expressing concern that the merger will reduce competition and lead to higher fares on overlapping routes. That being said, it looks as though there is little overlap between the two systems, so the merger may not change ticket prices too much. The bigger worry stems from the fact that this merger could influence other mergers (i.e. Continental + United) which could mean that down the road, several large players control most of the air traffic....and coincidentally, how much it costs to fly.
The Biggest worry for Frequent flyer program members may be concerning their points. It has been reported that points from both airlines will be combined into one single account. Technically this means you will have more points to spend with Delta, but it is important to note that the new airline will not be increasing the amount of reward seats available on the airline. So even if you have more points, so will everybody else and competition is likely to grow fierce for those elusive reward seats.
On the bright side (since we all love the bright side), the combined route networks means more opportunities for travelers to earn and redeem miles.
So that's that. Let's wait and see if this whole crazy thing gets approved.....
