The added financial pressure may hasten an already likely bankruptcy filing, which will probably occur within weeks.
The airline's already slim chances of avoiding bankruptcy are dwindling rapidly.
We did that based on how much they need to accomplish in less than two months with their other labor groups. This strike stretches out the likely time frame with the others unions at least a bit.
It's one thing to say that Northwest is managing through the strike impressively well. It's quite another to say they'll be able to get the concessions and other changes they need by mid-October.
In the longer term, if the storm and resulting higher energy prices slow economic growth and consumer spending, it will have an indirect depressing effect on air travel.
Airline mergers are very difficult. They require a lot of cooperation from labor, management attention and financing. All those things are in short supply when you're just struggling to survive.
United shutting down doesn't necessarily fix the problem for other airlines, but it helps a lot. It does divert a fair amount of revenue to other airlines -- United carries about 17 percent of the nation's traffic.
Those three factors, pension, labor and fuel prices, will likely be the major consideration as they come up to Oct. 17.
Those three factors, pension, labor and fuel prices, likely were the major considerations.
That is high, particularly for an investment-grade company.
