If several of the nation's big airlines merge, as industry executives have been advocating for months, airfares would probably rise, some cities might get a bit of additional service, and other cities would see flights scaled back significantly. With help from the trade publication Airline Weekly, we've examined the top 50 airports to determine the likely effects of two possible megamergers: a Delta-Northwest alliance and a United-Continental hookup. Here are the cities that would be most deeply affected:
| Airport | Dominant carriers | Possible impact | Routes where fares could rise most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Delta, AirTran | Delta, Northwest combine flights; could increase int'l service, might have to give up a few gates. | Memphis, Minneapolis, Detroit |
| Denver | United, Frontier | United, Continental combine flights; larger presence. | Houston, Newark, Cleveland |
| Houston Intercontinental | Continental | Continental, United combine flights; could offer more int'l service. | Denver, San Francisco, Dulles |
| Minneapolis– St. Paul |
Northwest | Northwest, Delta combine flights; exercise near-monopoly control. | Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Atlanta |
| Detroit | Northwest | Northwest, Delta combine flights; larger presence. | Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati |
| San Francisco | United | United, Continental combine flights; larger presence. | Houston, Cleveland, Newark |
| Newark | Continental | Continental, United combine flights; larger presence, could offer more int'l service. | Washington–Dulles, Denver, San Francicso |
| New York– Kennedy Int'l |
JetBlue, Delta, American | Delta, Northwest combine flights; could offer more int'l service. | Minneapolis, Detroit, Memphis |
| New York– LaGuardia |
Delta, American, USAirways | Delta, Northwest combine flights; larger presence. | Minneapolis, Detroit, Memphis |
| Salt Lake City | Delta, Southwest | Delta, Northwest could cut back flights; consolidate connections at Minneapolis. Less nonstop service. | Minneapolis, Detroit, Memphis |
| Washington, D.C.– Dulles Int'l |
United | United, Continental combine flights; could shift some overseas flights to Newark or vice versa. | Newark, Houston, Cleveland |
| Washington, D.C.– Reagan Nat'l |
USAirways, Delta, American | Delta, Northwest combine flights; become very strong in northeast corridor | Minneapolis, Memphis, Detroit |
| Cincinnati | Delta | Delta, Northwest scale back or close hub, consolidating connections at Detroit. Fewer nonstops, but could open door to discounters. | Minneapolis, Memphis, Detroit |
| Cleveland | Continental, Southwest | Continental, United reduce flights or close hub, consolidating connections at Chicago's O'Hare. Fewer nonstops, but might attract discounters, and Southwest could expand. | Washington–Dulles, Denver, San Francisco |
| Memphis | Northwest | Northwest, Delta reduce flights or close hub, fewer nonstops, but could attract discounters | Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati |
Sources: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Official Airline Guide, Seth Kaplan of Airline Weekly
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