Ask anyone who travels today. It is not uncommon to hear about flights that are several hours late, flights that are canceled, or flight times that are longer than they were 20 years ago. Undoubtedly, bad weather and the antiquated nature of our air traffic control system cause some of these problems. But, the constant failure to provide consumers with even the most basic information about why service has been disrupted is inexcusable. Several people have mentioned to me and my staff that we should stop the merger on this issue alone.
Most businesses compete on the basis of price and service.
We will be very interested in determining whether this merger will eliminate competition among airlines to improve their service. Third, everyone is interested in new service. This is very important in the Northeast because this market has been dominated by US Airways for a very long time. US Airways has cut back on its non-hub service throughout the Northeast. This is service that does not begin or stop in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.