BTC calls for investigation into airline M&A

The Business Travel Coalition (BTC) has asked the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to study the consequences of recent airline mergers in light of US Airways’ (US) public announcement that it is pursuing a merger with American Airlines (AA). The BTC says: “A rational case can be made that such a merger would lead to higher prices, less mid-size community service and more onerous consumer-facing airline policies. An equally coherent argument is made by some experts that disallowing the merger – after approvals of the new Delta and United – would eventually lead to US and AA being squeezed out