Seems to me that we need some updated abbreviations for the new United; typing out what we are trying to communicate is so clumsy.

So, I humbly suggest that we adopt the following abbreviations for the new United –

UA/UAL – the combined United in its entirety

LUAL – Legacy United – fleet, practices, employees, everything

LCAL – Legacy Continental – fleet, practices, employees, everything

That is all.

How about American being dominated by British Airways and Qantas?

It’s no secret that American’s in a bad way – they’re going to be knocked down from King of the Hill to #3 in short order. They’re out of cash. Their fleet is old. Their route structure needs amping up. They don’t service Oceania anymore. They’re very weak across the Pacific. They’re weak to Europe in comparison to Delta or United’s structure.

What to do? Especially when Lufty snaps up Doug Parker’s little project?

Let someone else drive.

All right, so I’ve hit the big three – now it’s time for something REALLY out there on the skinny branches.

United (new) is going to order a TON of new equipment in the next five years, including some 747-8i.

United has a fleet of very new (and very efficient) 737NG aircraft, and a fleet of ratty and very old A320. United leased the A320 from Airbus in 1992; and took delivery of them over the next few years. Only legacy Northwest’s A320s are older.

As I have previously noted, the A320 service life cannot be economically extended, and as these ships age out, they’ll be replaced. By Boeing.

United’s 744s have been kicked around for quite some time, but they’re good performers. They have 24 in service, and about half were delivered prior to 1992; the rest between 1997 and 2000.

The 744s have an outstanding used market for freighter conversions. At some point in the not so distant future, United is going to join Star Alliance partner Lufthansa in operating the 747-8i. It may be only a boutique fleet, but it’s going to happen.

Let’s jump from airplane surprise to airline shocker –

USAirways will sell itself to Lufthansa.

This makes perfect sense. USAirways cannot continue to thrive where they are virtually shut out by Delta, United and American. They don’t have the hub and route structure necessary, they have almost no funding for expansion or new equipment and .. if they have to file again, this third time won’t be the charm.

Virgin America has already demonstrated exactly how to handle the foreign ownership restrictions that would limit any such transaction. No wheels to re-invent.

Lufthansa has already acquired and dramatically improved several airlines in Europe – Swiss, Austrian, SNBrussels, and seems to have a lock on SAS. But, they have nothing but O&D in the biggest airline passenger treasure chest of all – North America.

Lufthansa has the ability to inject the cash, provide the extraordinary management, the IT capacity, the route planning, and to provide appropriate aircraft to make USAirways a true competitor to the other Legacy majors in North America. With that, Lufty will be able to compete directly with its Star Alliance partners in North America, and with Delta and American.

Doug Parker? Lufthansa has your Golden Ticket.

I have a few prognostications that I have pulled from the vapor of various stories and threads I’ve been reading.

To make it an easier read, I’ll just do one a day.

To start, I’ll do my (former) hometown airline, UCon (now NuCon, or United as it is more commonly known).

United (combined) has already begun to re-gauge several routes and their two east coast hubs – EWR and IAD. A whole lot of big legacy UA metal is moving up to EWR and a whole bunch of CO’s snappy little 75M are going to be hauling the political worker bees across the pond on legacy UA’s routes from IAD.

This makes a whale of a lot of sense.

Rumor has it that a few of legacy UA’s 744s are going to be running from IAH – NRT, FRA, LIM, LHR – the demand is there, and UCon hasn’t had the metal to upgauge.

United is making a push at NRT and flogging the regulatory authorities hard on Tokyo Haneda, now that Delta has drawn down service there.

Here comes my prediction – United is going to be a money machine. They will have the ONLY truly global airline – something that eluded even Pan Am in their heyday. Delta has very little to Latin America, in which United is immensely strong. United’s partnership with Lufthansa’s constellation of carriers will produce enormous revenue generation, as will Lufty and United’s transpacific agreements with ANA. This is basically a kick in the groin to JAL, who is already on the ropes.

The new United, as my buddy Gailen David today noted, seems to be choosing most of legacy Continental’s operating standards going forward – which is a very good thing. With an advancing reputation for service, the right ship on the right route, and the sole opportunity for a traveler anywhere to stay online everywhere – United is going to be the next King of the Jungle.

I always love this time of year, as it brings me back into direct contact with some of my favorite people – who are also tax clients. I love catching up, and being there to make a process more comfortable and confident for my peeps.

One conversation that I look forward to all year is with a senior Continental FA who, after over 30 years of working in aluminum tubes, is still more beautiful and vivacious than most 25 year old girls.

I also love her sense of humor. Her latest was “FLIBS” — to describe the current band of pirates running UCon (my pet name for merged Continental). The acronym translates into “Frank Lorenzo in Better Suits”.

Sure, there are synergistic benefits to the combined companies. We’re already starting to see the re-gauging of EWR and IAD to more appropriate frequencies and capacities. But, no one is fooled that this wasn’t the effort and desire of the top brass and their investors (primarily JPMorgan Chase) looking to score big.

Apparently, my gal pal recently was in a room with Jeff (the merger master and progenitor) and was asked why she didn’t know who he was. Her reply was “I’ve been here over 30 years. Those guys come and go, but I’m still here. Who they are is irrelevant.”

This is a lesson that Big Corp needs to receive, 5×5. These huge companies are operated by single, human beings – who generate revenue with their efforts. Big Corp always tries to increase the amount that goes into their pockets by villainizing employees. But, when Big Corp does away with in flight services, who is it that pays the direct price? When Big Corp takes out their big salary and bonus payment and moves on to the next big thing, who is it that remains to continue the enterprise?

You want your premium customers coming back, but you are willing to force new, more restrictive wage and work rules onto your employees? Guess how well that’s going to work out for you.

All workforce populations age. The young and vigorous becomes the matured and capable. You pay them more, because of their ability to manage the unexpected and to do so smoothly and with confidence.

Given the selfish profit motivation of the Merger Managers, I can only assume that they’re looking for a way to outsource mainline pilots to a bunch of 14 year old Thai boys with XBox sets.

That way of thinking is flawed and needs to come to an end.