Project "Runway": Airline Industry Consolidation

The drama in the airline industry continues apace.  Listening to the speculation about which airline is combining with another is like watching the corporate equivalent of reality TV.   It's all about who is hooking-up, who thinks it's a good idea (airline execs), who is dissing the people that are hooking-up (unions) and who is the really nice person that is left out (consumers).  This week's episode sees a new turn in the plot:  U.S. executives finally turning to stronger international airlines for possible tie ups.   This makes a lot of sense: deep pocketed, well run airlines like BA, Lufthansa and Virgin would make able suitors for one of the U.S. carriers.   Problem is that the unions, some Members of Congress and some airlines have opposed changing U.S. law to allow "foreign" ownership of U.S. airlines.  These folks are just opposed to change.  They are pining for the days of Pan Am.  It's 2008 people.  It's a global economy.  The airline industry is ABOUT international connections.   In the words of Project Runway's Tim Gunn, policy makers need to look at the mess that is the U.S. airline industry and "Make it work!"
For more on this international angle, read this excellent piece in the FT by Justin Baer and Kevin Done: "BA tests ground for tie-ups with large US rivals".