Delta merger could mean lower fares

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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Most of the opinions expressed here since US Airways announced its intention to buy and merge with Delta have been of the negative variety. Certainly, those predictions have merit. But as the Washington Post points out, there’s the potential for a huge (and unintended) upside as well.

“A potential merger between US Airways and Delta Air Lines would force the combined airline to shed some overlapping services,” writes the Post‘s Kyle Peterson, “but the sale of assets could open the door to low-cost competitors and spark a new fare war.”

How so? Imagine low-cost trendsetters like JetBlue and Southwest moving to fill the vacuum created by the routes and airport gates shed by the Delta/US Airways behemoth. Suddenly we’re looking at the potential for massive East Coast expansion by airlines with a proven track record for bringing down fares on the routes they operate.

Now whether or not it would actually play out like that is a matter open to debate. The possibility, though, is an appealing one—and not so far-fetched, either.

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