Company registers over a dozen domain names for airline merger.
[Update: Now domains related to an American Airlines and Delta or United merger have been registered.]
U.S. Airways has been rumored as a potential acquirer of American Airlines since the latter went into bankruptcy protection. Over two dozen recent domain registrations suggest that the acquisition is very likely, if not a done deal.
On Friday, the same day American parent company AMR asked for an extension on its bankruptcy reorganization, American Airlines or U.S. Airways registered a number of domains for the combined entity. The domains were registered through DNStinations, an affiliate of brand protection company MarkMonitor.
Among the domains registered:
american-usairways.com, .net, and .org
americanairlinesusairways.com, .net, and .org
americanusairways.net (the .com was registered by someone else in 2010)
usairways-american.com, .net, and .org
usairwaysamerican.com, .net, and .org
usairwaysamericanairlines.com, .net, and .org
usandaa.com, .net, and .org
The company also registered domains playing on the “AA” theme. These domains would likely be used to promote the value of the combined entity:
aadvantageofus.com, .net, and .org
advantageofus.com, .net, and .org
oneworldoneairline.com, .net, and .org
This is amazing! They registers over domain names? They should make up their mind and just keep one domain name instead of a dozen, that is not helping them at all.
All of them are big and unwieldy.Somebody in marketing needs to risk his/her job…get BOLD…and give them a new name. A name such as: VELOFLY (you’re welcome)
1. How are you sure “American” or “USAirways” registered these? Assumption based on the domain name itself?
2. If AA/U, then they registered all these to block others from having similar names.
3. If a third party registered them, which is my opinion, they did so in order to exact a toll from AA or U in the event that a merger is announced.
@ Scott Taylor – the registrar, MarkMonitor, is a brand protection registrar. It would not let cybersquatters register these domains.
suggest to who? you or them?
I thought it’s gonna start! American is asking for extension ! But why? It had enough time. But why they want to speed up bancruptcy …? I thought about that they want to be faster outta bancruptcy cuz they wanna buy US-AIRWAYS but then they want a extension . I think it is likely that the court will be very unfriendly to American because American came too late with bancruptcy , the safety violations in the last years , the old fleet but that does not really matter too much for them and now extension . I think it is mre likely that AA got scared because nothin is really happened since now in bancruptcy . Everything goes slowly . Aha but they wanna cut jobs .LOL
I think they won’t get an extension and the court will make its own decision and it is likely to be a merger . Also to get a better image . A new company is more likely to get new chances and not old US -Airways or OLD AA
This was posted on Fusible yesterday. Usually, domain registrations are a good indicator of impending news (which is why so many tech blogs throng to Fusible). By all means, the US Airways and AA merger will be through in some time.
@ Puranjay – I don’t see it on Fusible
Meh: DeathAir.com
“Come die with us!”
Domain name registrations do not necessarily mean there’s an impending merger, AA are still negotiating with their unions on how to proceed with their proposed job cuts, after which the courts will involved. I think a merger is probably not even on the menu at the moment!
Seems to me it’s just a preventative measure to have them available if needed.
AA has some problems, but a merger with dysfunctional US Air would be a disaster. AA employees will never buy into it.
Can you say staple?
Hey Jepper5
AFAIK, the AA employees do NOT own AA and will just have to suck it up. The one bone they will get to chew on will be the name of the new airline will probably be “American” due to the more widely known name.
Hey James…
Good comment. The AA employees know how to staple. So they shouldn’t have a problem being stapled on the end of the US Air seniority lists.
What goes around comes around.
I am glad I fly for Big Brown. We just don’t have these merger issues over here. However, we will see if TNT causes an explosion.
Obviously Starflyer does not know much about history of AA and buyouts. I can only speak for the pilot’s group for the last 33 yrs.No AirCal, Reno Air, and TWA pilots were stapled to the bottom.
Jepper5
I can’t comment on AirCal or Reno Air, but most of the TWA pilots were STAPLED to the bottom of the list and then furloughed. I believe 400 or so pilots were integrated on the AA list starting around position 3500 on the AA seniority list.
ALL the TWA F/A’s were stapled and then furloughed. I seem to remember AirCal and Reno pilots also getting the “business”.
AND back in ’92 when that “great” business leader (Carl Icahn) sold TWA’s crown jewel London LHR routes to American, the TWA pilots asked American (read APA) if they would take some of the TWA pilots along with the routes.
The answer, a big fat NO. During roughly the same time period, when United bought the Pan Am Pacific routes, United took several Pan Am pilots along with the prized routes.
Better check your history again Jepper5.
Maybe it won’t happen this time since I think the AA union groups are bigger than US Air.
U.S. Air will never merge.
I like to see a great airline such as AA out of the hole even if that means merging with a smaller airline. Visit us http://www.micromemoryflash.com thanks!
So to all the ‘experts’ out there (yes I’m being sarcastic). Since when does registering a domain name mean that a merger is imminent? Get real! Its was reported days ago that US Air was behind registering the names not AA. Kind of like the guy who buys side by side cemetery plots for a woman he hasn’t even asked out yet for a date. Just cause US Air wants it to happen… doesn’t mean its going to happen. Hell they haven’t even been able to finalize the abomination of a merger with America West so what makes you think that American would even be interested?