Let's face it! F9 is a great airline but can't make enough money to pay off its debt. They owe money to Republic, so Republic tries to buy them for cheap. Sounds like a good deal for the amount they used to make in a quarter. They elimate a competitor, get slots and routes, and a "merger" gives them a good excuse to start adding fees like everyone else. I think a merger with B6 or FL would definately work better for F9, but both of those companies are licking their wounds from 2008. FL, the most profitable airline at the moment, has about 390 million in the bank. Paying out probably close to 120-200 million for an airline that only makes 40 million a year isn't a smart move in these tough times. TPG/NW bought Midwest for 436 million in 2007 and sold them to Republic for just 31 million. Several airlines are going to go in the next 2 years, and bankruptcy isn't what it used to be. It'll be interesting to see where all the cards fall when all of this is over, but no matter how you slice it F9 won't be around.
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