Looking on Yahoo finance it appears Continetal and United may be talking if the Northwest and Delta talks come to fruition. How would that affect your hiring at Continental?
UAL Considers New Round of Talks with CAL
United Airlines ponders resuming talks
By
Justin Baer in New York
Friday Jan 18 2008 18:25
United Airlines is considering a new round of talks to merge with
Continental Airlines (NYSE:
CAL) if its negotiations with another rival,
Delta Air Lines (NYSE:
DAL) , end without an agreement, people familiar with the company's plans said.
Glenn Tilton, United chief executive, an outspoken proponent of industrywide consolidation, signalled on Friday that the Chicago-based airlines could still strike a deal even if Delta merges with
Northwest Airlines (NASDAQ:
NWAC) . Delta opened negotiations with both United and Northwest earlier this month, the people said. "Our position has always been that we control our decisions; no one makes them for us," Mr Tilton said on Friday in a message to employees. "The advantage of our situation is that we have choices that we continue to consider with our board."
United and Continental discussed a possible merger a year ago after
US Airways made a hostile bid for Delta, which was then under bankruptcy protection, the people said. Those talks cooled after Delta rejected US Airways' advances, but the two sides remained in touch, they said. United and Continental declined to comment.
Record fuel prices, vocal shareholders and the slowing US economy have pressured airlines to pursue deals that help reduce costs, eliminate unprofitable routes and extend their global reach.
Delta may have an easier time winning the approvals of anti-trust regulators and labour leaders in a deal with Northwest, the smaller of the two potential partners.
Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive, once ran Northwest. Nevertheless
United and Continental will probably need to wait for their peers to reach a deal before they sign their own accord; Northwest has the right to block a Continental merger under most conditions. Continental in turn can buy out that so-called golden share for $100 once Northwest reaches an definitive agreement of its own.