Delta is lacking a West Coast presence which America West would give them. |
Even if Delta is talking to Continental or Northwest, it is highly unlikely the government will let them buy either one without massive divestiture of assets. |
Historically there has not been a great rate of return on airline stocks for investors, which is why they have always traded at a severe discount to the markets. And there is no guarantee that the government is going to approve on all these mergers, which lends an air of caution to investing in the sector. |
One of the first things [Northwest] would relinquish would be the antitrust immunity with KLM. KLM and Northwest wouldn't be able to sit down and talk about pricing. |