What the Continental/United merger means for meetings

When I read the news that Continental and United Airlines were merging, I couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, it would mean for meetings. Turns out it'll likely be a mixed bag.

“Like all mergers, there are good and bad things,” said George Odom, president of Strategic Travel and Meetings Group, a consultancy located in Fisher, Ind. “The good is that the frequent-flier programs will merge, and travelers can combine their mileage (although it may be difficult to cash in miles since there are more people trying to do so on a single carrier). From a corporate travel department standpoint, the merger could take more flights out of the air and take competition away, which in theory could lead to higher pricing.”