There's been much talk about the possibility of a merger between two full-fare airlines: Delta and United. We have about a half-dozen full fare companies, while there are many more smaller discount airlines working the skies. One out of every 3 flights in the United States is on a discount player, and Southwest Airlines is one of the largest. So we have a situation where the industry can't profitably support 6 full fare airlines. Keep in mind that companies almost never merge out of strength -- they do it out of weakness to avoid becoming unprofitable.

Clark has been interviewed extensively about the merger news and there's one question he's faced repeatedly: Will the union of Delta and United drive fares up? The answer is no. Business travelers will soon be able to use inexpensive private jet companies that fly directly to destinations many of the full fare airlines would not. Meanwhile, don't look for an answer to the Delta/United merger question in six months; Clark thinks we could be discussing this question 5 years down the road. Mergers of this size require the skills of real diplomats -- it's difficult to get two different sets of employees to mesh. When two companies tie the knot, there's no honeymoon in an airline marriage. As an aside, Clark was recently in a meeting where he was asked about Spirit Airlines. It seems that Spirit charges for everything when you fly. So Clark put on his best poker face and told a few people that you have to pay a dollar to use the bathrooms on the plane. They believed him! Boy, does he feel sorry about having pulled their legs!