JUL 14 - Midwest Airlines, a unit of Midwest Air Group, on Monday said it would cut its work force by 1,200 employees, or 40 percent, making it the latest airline to reduce staffing amid soaring fuel prices.

JUL 9 - Frontier Airlines was forced into bankruptcy protection three months ago by what some considered a technicality: Its credit-card processor demanded more collateral than the carrier could provide

JUN 20 - Shares of Continental Airlines and United Airlines parent UAL Corp. fell in Friday premarket trading after the legacy carriers confirmed late Thursday their merger talks have ended.

JUN 19 - UAL Corp. and Continental Airlines Inc. on Thursday announced an extensive partnership that appears to stop just short of an official marriage.

JUN 19 - Continental Airlines Inc and UAL Corp's United Airlines Thursday announced a global cooperation plan, the latest move in the dance between the U.S. carriers as they weigh mergers and alliances to help combat soaring fuel prices.

JUN 4 - This morning United management announced plans to reduce the aircraft fleet by an additional 70 planes by the end of 2009, including the entire 737 fleet and six 747 aircraft.  The company also announced the fifty-six A320's currently used for Ted will be reconfigured to include first class beginning in the spring of 2009.  There are many news stories that do not accurately reflect management. Read more here to review the facts and our Contracutal protections.

JUN 1 - Now it's time for Plan B, not just for United but for the entire airline industry. The collapse of talks between United and US Airways last week, its third ditched merger effort this year, marks a turning point in assumptions about what the industry will look like going forward.

MAY 31 - United Airlines is turning its attention inward to the painful cost cuts it will need to survive a forbidding economic environment as a stand-alone company now that its merger talks with US Airways are ended and other tie-up possibilities exhausted.

MAY 30 - UAL Corp.'s United Airlines ended merger talks with US Airways Group Inc. because of concerns that labor costs would be too high, clearing the way to pursue a possible alliance with Continental Airlines Inc.

MAY 30 - Plans to merge UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc. were suspended -- for now -- when UAL Chief Executive Glenn Tilton told his counterpart, Doug Parker, Thursday that United is very near an alliance agreement with Continental Airlines Inc., said two people familiar with the situation.

MAY 28 - Talks between United Airlines and US Airways appear to have fallen apart, marking the second time in a month that United failed to reach a deal with a rival airline and putting the future of industry consolidation in question. Those involved in the talks say the deal is on “permanent hold.”

MAY 23 - United Airlines ratcheted up the pressure on fliers ahead of the holiday weekend, raising most domestic fares by as much as $60 roundtrip to offset the runaway cost of fuel.

MAY 23 - In the latest sign that the outlook for the airline industry is darkening, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services on Thursday placed nine big airlines on CreditWatch with negative implications, meaning that it was likely to cut their debt ratings.

MAY 22 - Mesa Air Group Inc. warned Thursday that it faces a cash crunch and could be forced into bankruptcy if it can't stop Delta Air Lines Inc. from going through with a plan to cancel a regional flight contract.

MAY 21 - American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off workers -- probably in the thousands -- as the nation's largest carrier grapples with record-high fuel prices.

MAY 20 - Passengers are more dissatisfied with airlines' customer service than they have been in years at a time when carriers are charging more and more for tickets and services.

MAY 20 - Customer satisfaction with airlines fell in the first quarter to its lowest point since 2001, highlighting another risk in mergers being contemplated.

MAY 15 - Air Midwest (not to be confused with Midwest Airlines), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, announced a plan to cease all operations by June 30.

MAY 11 - United Airlines is closing in on a merger with US Airways, sources say, after being spurned by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

MAY 5 - United Airlines, spurned last month by Continental Airlines, is intensifying merger talks with US Airways Group and a deal could emerge in as soon as 10 days, according to people familiar with the matter.

MAY 2 - The United MECcontinues to meet weekly to review the state of the industry and potential business transactions involving our Company. Before even contemplating consolidation United should be working with us to reach agreement on immediate tangible improvements to our Collective Bargaining Agreement and labor relationships. 

MAY 1 - United Airlines and US Airways saw their first attempt at marriage foiled earlier this decade by the deal's high cost coupled with stiff opposition from lawmakers, unions and consumers. This time, a proposal for them to combine could face an easier route to approval in Washington, where the last bid died in July 2001.

MAY 1 - The dealmaking behind the creation of the world's largest airline may very well result in a referendum on union representation in the airline industry.

APR 30 - British Airways said on Wednesday it was in discussions with two of its largest U.S. rivals, American Airlines and Continental Airlines, which a source briefed on the matter said was about a potential alliance.

APR 29 - For the last five years, Tilton has talked often about mergers and consolidation in the airline industry, hanging out the equivalent of a “for sale” sign on United Airlines. After Continental Airlines ended merger talks, United restarted discussions with US Airways about a possible deal.

APR 28 - United Airlines is focusing its merger ambitions on US Airways after Continental Airlines' board Sunday backed its management's decision to go it alone, shunning the merger mania that has swept up other major carriers.

APR 27 - Continental management issued a media release Sunday afternoon after their Board of Directors voted unanimously to support the airline's recommendation not to merge at this time.

APR 27 - United Airlines seems to be the prime mover in the next industry merger, and a decision could come soon as carriers are forced to consolidate for survival.

APR 27 - Trans-Atlantic carrier Eos Airlines folds after $50 million financing deal falls through.

APR 27 - Continental Airlines said Sunday that it had abandoned merger talks with United Airlines - this will change the complex game of musical chairs that the airline industry is playing after the merger announcement last week by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines.

APR 27 - Continental Airlines said Sunday it would not pursue a combination with another carrier right away, a surprising move after weeks of growing speculation that it would join with United Airlines to create the world's biggest airline.

APR 25 - American Airlines has had early-stage merger talks with US Airways and is in advanced talks for an alliance with Continental Airlines, sources briefed on the situation said.

APR 24 - This week United management announced a first quarter loss of $542 million, job cuts, fleet reduction and Flight Attendant staffing reductions. It is important that we understand what these announcements truly mean. AFA leaders remain engaged in reviewing the state of the industry through regularly scheduled meetings over the coming weeks. There remains a myriad of consolidation scenarios and no definite plan for our airline.

APR 24 - United Airlines parent UAL said its net loss for the first quarter more than tripled to $4.45 a share from $1.32 a share in last year's Q1. And that's in spite of a 7.7% increase in operating revenue.

APR 24 - The idea of crude oil reaching $125 a barrel may still be greeted with disbelief by some, as was oil at $110, $100, and $90 a barrel. Many of the non-believers, it turns out, were air carriers, as first-quarter earnings reports prove.

APR 23 - More than two dozen U.S. senators, all of whom have large numbers of union members in their states, are urging Delta and Northwest airlines to "remain neutral" in union elections.

APR 23 - The top executives of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines couldn't have picked a better week to make their merger case on Capitol Hill.

APR 22 - United Airlines parent UAL Corp. today said it will cut its workforce by 1,100 and reduce its mainline domestic flight capacity by 9 percent by the end of the year as it tries to adjust to skyrocketing fuel costs.

APR 22 - I’ve lost track of the number of real or attempted airline mergers that I’ve flown through in the last 30 years, but I can tell you this: The play is old and the plot is tired, but there are always enough twists to keep you watching until the final scene.

APR 21 - Analysts expect United Airlines parent UAL Corporation will report a loss of $3.41 per share when it reports 2008 first-quarter earnings on Tuesday.

APR 18 - If Delta and Northwest are going to complete their deal to create the world's largest airline, they'll first have unions to cajole, politicians to placate, and antitrust regulators to convince.

APR 18 - Weary shareholders and creditors of Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. could lose out -- again -- amid falling stock prices since the carriers announced their intent to combine.

APR 17 - Not surprisingly, US Airways talked recently with UAL, the parent of United Airlines, about a potential merger, which would revive a deal that was rejected by regulators in 2001.

APR 16 - The names change, but the problems remain. Airline mergers often mean travel headaches for customers -- and they often don't work so well for the airlines involved, either.

APR 16 - I flew to New York on the day spring arrived and all along 90th Street a lovely blue flower called Pushkinia blossomed which is named for the poet who, according to Russians, cannot be translated into English, but Tchaikovsky made a gorgeous opera of "Eugene Onegin," which is some consolation, and then there is the flower.

APR 15 - United Airlines is reducing the number of flight attendants on some flights as it copes with skyrocketing fuel prices.

APR 15 - Unions at United Airlines wasted no time putting management on notice they expect to be a factor in any merger discussions.

APR 15 - Unions from various airlines are staking their positions in the event the Delta and Northwest airlines merger triggers a rash of similar moves, officials said.

APR 15 - Statement by the Union Coalition at United Airlines regarding possible airline industry consolidation involving United Airlines.

APR 15 - While Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. announced their intention to merge late Monday, industry experts and unions turned their eyes toward Chicago-based United Airlines.

APR 14 - Delta Air Lines announced its long-speculated deal to acquire Northwest Airlines Monday, a combination that will create the world's largest airline and could lead to a series of other deals to reshape the U.S. airline industry.

Flight Attendants Ready to Fight Merger (APR 14)

Flight Attendant Merger Protections (APR 4)
Statement by Union Coalition at United Airlines (APR 15)

APR 14 - Frontier Airlines fended off a skittish creditor by seeking bankruptcy-court protection last week, but its future could depend on how successfully it battles two muscular rivals in a city that may not have room for all three.

APR 14 - Delta and Northwest could announce a combination as early as Tuesday that would create the world's biggest airline, but pilot contract issues still loomed and there was no guarantee the deal would move ahead, three people familiar with the talks said Sunday.

APR 14 - Delta and Northwest airlines announced a merger Monday night, altering the face of the industry and leaving Houston's Continental Airlines with a tough choice.

APR 14 - Atlanta-based Delta and its pilots met over the weekend, trying to reach an accord that would give the pilots a pay hike and stake in the combined airline. Such an agreement would leave the thorny issue of combining Delta and Northwest pilot seniority lists to be worked out after a merger announcement.

APR 10 - Northwest Airlines' pilots could be in a weaker position than their counterparts at Delta Air Lines as the two carriers moved a step closer to a merger that would create the world's largest airline, industry experts said today.

APR 11 - Frontier Airlines sought bankruptcy protection Friday, the fourth carrier to do so in the past several weeks as exorbitant fuel prices eat into earnings and a weak U.S. economy keeps more people grounded.

APR 11 -Air traveler angst was sure to continue Friday as American Airlines grounded hundreds more flights. The financial toll and loss of goodwill likely would grow as well, as the inspection-related mess spread further to other carriers and hurt an industry already bleeding cash thanks to high fuel costs.

APR 4 - Letter from the MEC regarding airline consolidation.

APR 3 - ATA Airlines last night filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and this morning discontinued all of its operations.

MAR 30 - United Airlines announced it will assist and accommodate passengers who are affected by the termination of Aloha Airlines service with no charge for rebooking on a United ticket, refund Mileage Plus passengers who have a reserveation on Aloha, offer discounted one-way fares through the end of April for passengers on an Aloha ticket and United will continue to honor reservations that AlohaPass frequent flier members have on a United flight.

MAR 30 - Aloha Airlines announced today that it will be shutting down its inter-island and transpacific passenger flight operations. Aloha's last day of operations will be Monday, March 31, 2008.

MAR 28 - Executives at Northwest Airlines have proposed that Northwest and Delta Air Lines go ahead with a planned merger, a source familiar with the talks said.

MAR 19 - The parent of United Airlines shouldn't be sold merely because Tilton is itching to do a deal, or craves a big merger-related payday, or is plain tuckered out. Instead, the carrier's board should take a more promising approach: Drop the merger talks and bring in a new CEO who's committed to building a successful, stand-alone airline.

MAR 18 - Delta Air Lines will cut more than half its work force - and cut domestic capacity by an extra 5 percent this year as part of an overhaul of its business plan to deal with soaring fuel prices. The severance program primarily affects mainline Delta employees. It will not affect Delta pilots, who have a union contract with the company.

MAR 18 - Airlines executives say worries about recession, high fuel prices and tighter credit seem to have cooled the merger fever that gripped the industry a few weeks ago.

MAR 5 - For weeks, reports about a proposed Delta and Northwest Airlines deal have prompted aviation analysts to also contemplate the possibility of a merger between Continental and United. Such consolidation is supposed to bring about increased efficiencies as it helps improve the carriers' bottom lines. But the Northwest-Delta deal is hanging in the balance as both carriers' pilots demand that their seniority rights be protected in any deal.

MAR 5 - Early this year, U.S. airlines and industry experts seemed unanimous in their view that airline mergers were necessary and inevitable -- but now some of that certainty has faded.

MAR 3 - Merger talk is "a distraction" and $100 oil is a burden, but Delta Air Lines remains elated by its international prospects and is confident it will show a profit this year.

MAR 2 - United Airlines' top executives have a lot of reasons to do a merger — about 13 million of them — and another 17 million reasons not to stick around after the deal.

FEB 29 - An impasse on the issue of pilot seniority integration is unlikely to be overcome, and could be a death blow for a Delta and Northwest deal despite continued negotiations, a source close to the situation told dealReporter.

FEB 29 - Delta Air Lines said on Friday it is not rushing to merge as expectations it would strike a deal with Northwest Airlines receded even further.

FEB 29 - Airline mergers: The outlook for airfares It looks like most of the major U.S. airlines are seriously considering mergers. Many people are worried that consolidation will bring higher fares.

FEB 29 - Merger talks between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have been held up for a couple of weeks while pilots at each carrier discuss how to combine their union seniority lists.

FEB 28 - It's been a week since pilots from Delta Air Lines and Northwest have met to discuss how to integrate each others' seniority lists in the event of a merger, the Associated Press reported Thursday, countering any assumption that talks were ongoing.

FEB 27 - Opposition to a merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines keeps growing the longer the proposed deal takes.

FEB 26 - The proposed merger between Delta and Northwest faces a potential collapse, sources say. The market has shown concern about Delta and Northwest since pilots failed to reach a deal over the weekend.

FEB 25 - Labor unions at Continental Airlines and United Airlines are stepping up preparations for a potential merger between the two carriers, which they and industry experts believe could happen quickly if Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines agree to combine in coming days.

FEB 22 - United Airlines' unions are stepping up their hard-line talk about a possible combination as the carrier stands poised to participate in industry consolidation, warning that management will have to pay a steep price to win their support.

FEB 22 - Delta/Northwest antitrust: Delta and Northwest are nearing the culmination of their long courtship. But most airline match-ups are stymied at the altar by US regulators’ aversion to consolidation.

FEB 22 - Not too long ago, Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. seemed all but certain to announce a combination soon. That still could happen in the next few days, but an impasse over seniority involving the pilots unions has jeopardized a deal, raising the question of what happens if Delta or Northwest walks away.

FEB 22 - Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines apparently won't be rushed into a merger until the carriers' pilots have ironed out their own integration plan, highlighting the importance of successfully negotiating thorny labor issues that have plagued industry mergers in the past.

FEB 21 - With a merger between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines in the works, the stage is being set for the possibility of another long-rumored merger between Chicago's United Airlines and Continental Airlines, headquartered in Houston. Neither carrier has publicly stated it is in merger talks, but sources say discussions have been under way.

FEB 21 - Airline employees bore the brunt of the industry's cost-cutting efforts following the 2001 terrorist attacks, taking huge pay and benefit cuts that dampen morale to this day. But workers now wield significant influence, as airlines - including United Airlines - explore the possibility of merging, observers say.

FEB 20 - Lufthansa AG is mulling investing in a merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines and has discussed taking an equity stake with officials of Chicago-based United, sources said.

FEB 20 - The boards of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are scheduled to meet today to approve a merger that would create the world's largest airline in terms of traffic.

FEB 20 - After battling numerous demons -- everything from bankruptcy to high oil prices, intransigent employee unions and the depressing effect on travel of the threat of global terrorism -- Northwest Airlines Corp. finally emerges victorious.  Don't fall for this version of the story.

FEB 20 - An impasse among pilot negotiators over blending seniority lists put a $20 billion deal to combine Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. in "serious jeopardy" as the boards of the two companies prepared to meet Wednesday, two people close to talks told The Associated Press.

FEB 19 - U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, blasted the impending Delta-Northwest deal last Friday in an opinion piece for Business Week magazine.

FEB 19 - Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. are in the final push toward a merger agreement that would create the world's largest airline by traffic.

FEB 19 - Delta Air Lines moved closer on Monday to a deal to buy Northwest Airlines, according to people involved in the talks.

FEB 18 - Continental Airlines would likely keep its hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport if the company combines with United Airlines, a former company official said.

FEB 18 - United Airlines and Continental are in advanced negotiations and could complete a combination quickly if Delta and Northwest strike a deal, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

FEB 16 - Figuring out who will be CEO of merging airlines?  That's child's play compared with resolving the complex and emotionally charged labor issues that likely would linger long after any deal is consummated.

FEB 15 - The chairman of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure says a merged Delta-Northwest or United-Continental would hurt consumers

FEB 15 - Merger talks between United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc have picked up pace, but a deal still hinges on the outcome of discussions between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines Corp , people briefed on the situation said on Friday.

FEB 14 - Airline stocks sold off Thursday even as the industry appeared to inch closer to a possible merger wave. UAL’s United Airlines is “in advanced negotiations with Continental Airlines,” the Chicago Tribune reported, citing a person close to the airlines.

FEB 8 - Delta-Northwest combination inching toward completion would create a new world leader, leapfrogging American Airlines and the Air France-KLM tandem in passenger traffic, but would also likely trigger a chain reaction of other deals, with unknown consequences for travelers.

FEB 8 - ACE Aviation Holdings, majority owner of Air Canada, has been approached by private equity players and pension funds on ways that Air Canada could join the U.S. airline consolidation wave, ACE Chief Executive Robert Milton said on Friday.

FEB 7 - Merger talk is again the topic du jour in aviation news. The latest news that has everyone buzzing comes from The Wall Street Journal, which writes "merger discussions between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have picked up steam, and a deal could be announced in the next two weeks, according to people who have been briefed on the negotiations."

FEB 7 - Four major U.S. carriers, including United Airlines, appear closer to consummating deals that would radically remake the airline industry, say people close to the airlines.

FEB 7- United Airlines and Continental Airlines Corp are in the "very initial stages" of merger talks, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

FEB 6 - A merger between Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines appears imminent, analysts say, and could set off a debate in Washington about the impact of such a transaction. Analysts predict deal could be announced as soon as February 15.

FEB 1 - Southwest Airlines Co. chief executive Gary Kelly is talking more about the possibility of acquiring another airline.

JAN 31 - Delta Airlines is understood to still be in talks with United Airlines about a potential tie-up, despite market reports that have spotlighted a Northwest/Delta combination. It was said that although Delta has not yet chosen a partner, the company finds both potential partners attractive.

JAN 21 - Now that Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. appear to be in formal discussions about a merger, many are wondering what's next for the two major U.S. carriers -- and the overall airline industry.

JAN 18 - United Airlines is considering a new round of talks to merge with Continental Airlines if its negotiations with another rival, Delta Air Lines, end without an agreement, people familiar with the company’s plans said.

JAN 19 - Keep this in mind: While Delta Air Lines flirts over a possible combination with either United Air Lines or Northwest Airlines, a cargo-load of cash could taxi into the arms of whatever airline chief loses his job in a merger.

JAN 15 - In response to reports on merger discussions between Delta and United Airlines, Greg Davidowitch, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA at United Airlines reiterated a message Flight Attendants have consistently delivered on the subject of consolidation.