SkyWest reaches agreement to acquire ExpressJet for $133 million

Skywest is becoming monopolistic in the Regional biz. It'll be interesting to see just how many concessions the 'big' airlines will now be able to squeeze out of them. In the past, those 'big' airlines were able to (and did) put Regionals out of business.

It's a whole new world out there!

I used to think that allowing foreign carriers access to our domestic market was a terrible idea. With each competition-reducing merger, like the impending UA/CO trainwreck and the disasterous pairing of Frontier and Midwest( two different service formats), I look forward to the opportunity to fly the likes of Cathay Pacific or BA from Chicago to Atlanta.
It will certainly put US air travel back on track, and likely kill off the lumbering dinosaurs like AA and UA that need to just go away and free up slots around the country for airline companies that will use them properly.

Who is going to buy American Eagle? We all know that one is next! AMR is kicking them out of the nest.

Well, AA Eagle has been up for sale for quite some time now.....but, so far, no takers. I think AA will have to significantly lower the price for Eagle if they really want to sell it.

Not only do the likes of SQ, CX, EK, etc not want to enter the US, I have serious doubts about any airline being able to run a multi-hub operation that would be required in the US to capture any significant traffic flows and international feed. LH proper is dual hub (OS, LX and SN maintain separate cost structures, etc, and so flow over their respective hubs is managed differently from LH proper FRA/MUC flow), AF-KL appears to have figured out how to dual hub due to big yield deltas ex CDG v AMS, and QF and AC have to multi-hub due to geography but would prefer to consolidate at 1 if they could - just compare their networks at SYD/YYZ and elsewhere. For the EK/SQ/CX model to work in the US, with that level of service standards, you would need a high yield city, like NYC, CHI or MIA, but located in Kansas, and with TACA's costs.

By Anja Gensel
"I used to think ..."

Well try to get back to it sometime soon Anja. I love Emirates service, their first class is amazing for a government run airline, and they are trying to take over the world but if we give away are airline indusrty "so falls rome." We already let Virgin America jump in to lower the fares further below where they should be. Our majors do a great job with what the FAA & ATC gives them. Let's privatize the FAA & ATC and hold them accountable for something.

What makes me think that the likes of BA or CX would want to fly in a domestic US market??? The EU transport minister has consistantly brought this to the table in the recent Open Skies agreement negotions with the Bush administration. European airlines (and yes, CX IS European!) want access to the still largest market on earth.
When they do come, and I am certain that they will, they may come in the form of a LCC subsidiary, or an accross-the-board acquisition of a US company.

Of course BA has operational challenges....who doesn't??? But they certainly aren't humping the bunk like our carriers have been.

Have you flown outside of the country lately??? BA and LH aren't suddenly adopting the People Express "Unbundled Service" format. They are full-service carriers, charging full fares.

It's appropriate when Ryanair or Wizzair charges for extras because you are likely paying less than 50 quid for your transportation.

And as far as competing against AA, UA or DL???
European airlines have been operating in an environment in a high cost operating environment for the last 3 decades. They have adapted. Topping most of our domestics in operational effeciency and customer service would not be difficult at all.

In fact, to top AA, all you would have to do is not charge for a bag or assigned seat, and operate a flight with something other than a 25 year old MD80!

Time will tell.