Justice Dept signs off on United-Continental deal

[steve2470]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100828/ap_on_bi_ge/us_united_continental_southwest

MINNEAPOLIS – The Justice Department said Friday that it has no more antitrust concerns about the deal that would combine United and Continental into the world's largest airline.

To win that approval, the airlines had to open the door to Southwest Airlines at Continental's hub in Newark, N.J., where it is the dominant carrier. The Justice Department said leasing takeoff and landing permission to Southwest in Newark cleared up its main competitive concern.

Shareholders at Continental Airlines Inc. and United parent UAL Corp. are set to vote on the deal on Sept. 17, and the Transportation Department has to approve it. The airlines now expect the deal to close by Oct. 1.

The combined airline would leapfrog Delta Air Lines Inc. to become the world's biggest airline. Delta itself grabbed the top spot by buying Northwest Airlines in 2008.

[RandomThoughts]

1. Things getting worse. Corporations suppose to get smaller.

Crank It Up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnSbpPXlmvo

[AndyA]

2. Bigger, bigger, bigger brings less competition, which means rates go up.

Think of all the airlines we used to be able to chose from. Most of them are gone now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I knew that, as I have to check in at the Continental counter

ah but "capitalism" (Command economy) is alive and well, growing in monopolistic power.