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The major airlines remain under siege by their low cost
brethren, with one of the six majors currently in bankruptcy
(United), and another two almost certain to enter bankruptcy
before year end (US Airways and Delta). All of this while
dealing with sky high fuel costs. So here's my advice on
what to do with respect to each of these three carriers.
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1. US Airways: First--I just want to put out a warning to
those of you planning to book flights on US Airways or
who have frequent flyer miles on US Airways.
Beware--analysts are predicting that US airways will
likely re-enter bankruptcy proceedings in September.
What make this unusual is two factors: (1) US Airways
emerged from bankruptcy about one year ago--but its costs
are still out of control relative to low cost airlines
eating its lunch at major hubs. (2) Some analysts are now
estimating that the value of a liquidated US Airways may
well exceed the value of the assets as an ongoing
concern. That could be the end...
Bottom line-it is not beyond the realm of possibility
that US Airways could disappear from the landscape. So be
careful about booking paid flight on US Airways more than
two months from today. And use your US Airways frequent
flyer quickly--preferably booking on a partner airline
such as United. Refer to this link for more details:
http://www.travelexpert.com/travelnews
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2. United is still struggling to emerge from bankruptcy, 20
months after entering Chapter 11. Check UAwatch.com
regularly for status updates and a detailed analysis
regarding the airline's prospects.
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3. Delta is still in a deadlock with its pilots union as it
tries to wring savings and reduce labor costs. The two
sides are still far apart, and Delta edges closer to
bankruptcy as sky high costs threaten its viability. I
think bankruptcy is likely, but just as with United-do
not see any imminent threat to paid reservations on Delta
or concern about the viability of frequent flyer miles at
this point in time.
There you have it for now. I welcome your opinions at
theo@travelexpert.com. As some of you have already
discovered, I respond to all queries-personally!
Bon Voyage--Theo
Dr. Theo Brandt-Sarif
9108 Hillboro Drive
Los Angeles, CA, 90034-1125
United States |