Like the death of Mark Twain, reports of a pending merger between US Airways and bankrupt American Airlines are greatly exaggerated, but travelers should still be prepared for higher prices and other challenges in the months to come.

“Independent of whether they merge or not, you’re going to see higher prices because the airlines have figured out that there’s no point in competing for unprofitable business,” said consultant Robert Mann of R.W. Mann & Co. “But if a merger does occur, you’ll see an acceleration of that increase.”

There’s certainly been no shortage of merger talk, especially after American’s parent company, AMR Corp., posted a $1.7-billion loss during the first quarter of the year and US Airways CEO Doug Parker announced the carrier had signed agreements with three unions representing nearly 55,000 American employees.

Such talk is clearly premature — “Today's news does not mean we have agreed to merge with American Airlines,” wrote Parker to his employees late last week — but it does raise the question of what an eventual merger between the two carriers could mean for travelers.

Higher fares
Simple supply and demand, coupled with rising fuel prices, suggests higher ticket prices ahead. This time around, though, there’s added pressure because, unlike previous bouts of consolidation, low-cost carriers are unlikely to fill any gaps that result from post-merger cutbacks.

“Historically, mergers have been an opportunity for Southwest to enter markets and provide [pricing] discipline,” said Mann. “But their costs aren’t that much lower than the network carriers anymore so it’s not as if they can suddenly find new pockets of revenue.”

More labor unrest
While the kerfuffle over US Airways’ overtures to American employees will pass, industry observers note that it’s been seven years since US Airways merged with America West Airlines and integrating those two work forces is still a work in progress. Integrating a third, says Mann, will likely complicate an already difficult situation.

A better network
Unlike previous mergers, in which overlapping networks led to service cuts and gutted hubs, the two carriers’ route maps are more complementary than conflicting.

“There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with a merger from a route-map perspective,” said Joe Brancatelli, publisher of the business-travel website JoeSentme.com. “There’s very little competition in Phoenix [US Airways’ hometown] and American would pick up Philadelphia, Charlotte and Washington National.” Coupled with New York and Miami, the new additions could be especially beneficial to business travelers who make regular runs up and down the East Coast.

Ultimately, the likelihood of a merger will have more to do with American’s post-bankruptcy viability and regulatory approval than with such operational details, although history suggests there will be a merger somewhere down the runway.

“No carrier that has gone into bankruptcy since 2000 has survived without a merger,” said Brancatelli. “United went into bankruptcy, came out and merged with Continental. US Airways went into bankruptcy twice and merged with America West. And Delta and Northwest both went into bankruptcy on the same day, came out and merged with each other.”

For Brancatelli — no fan of the legacy carriers — another merger will only accelerate the trend that has helped their competitors grow. “Every time the big guys get bigger, Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran look better to passengers.”  

More stories you might like:

• US Airways seeking to acquire American out of bankruptcy 
• American bankruptcy long overdue, travel experts say
• Video: American Airlines sues former flight attendant

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

© Lucas Jackson / Reuters / REUTERS

A worker walks underneath an American Airlines airplane at Miami International airport.

US Airways said Friday it has agreed deals with three unions at American Airlines, raising expectations that the two carriers will soon join forces as a single airline.

US Airways said in a regulatory filing that it has sealed agreements with the Transport Workers Union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and the Allied Pilots Association. The three unions represent nearly 55,000 American Airlines employees.

“Today’s news does not mean we have agreed to merge with American Airlines,” W. Douglas Parker, chairman and chief executive officer of US Airways, wrote in a letter to employees.

“It only means we have reached agreements with these three unions on what their collective bargaining agreements would look like after a merger, and that they would like to work with us to make a merger a reality.”

Parker went on to talk up a potential merger with American.

“After studying American Airlines’ current state and their future plans, we have concluded that a merger with American, while they are undergoing their bankruptcy restructuring, represents a unique opportunity that we should not ignore,” he said.

“These beliefs are shared by the three American labor unions and we are delighted to have their support. Like us, they recognize the potential of a merger to improve the current and future careers of both airlines’ employees.”

Reports have circulated that US Airways is in talks with creditors for American Airlines to take over the airline once it emerges from bankruptcy -- a deal that would reduce the number of major big national airlines to just three.

American’s parent company AMR filed for bankruptcy protection in November and recently received permission to extend the filing deadline for its reorganization plan until Sept. 28 and said it plans to ask for its labor union contracts to be voided.

The airline industry has been going through a period of consolidation, with the most recent merger clinched between United Airlines and Continental Airlines, who joined forces in 2010. Delta Air Lines reached a deal to combine with Northwest Airlines in 2008.

US Airways CEO Parker has made no secret of his desire to join with American, but American’s executives have said they want to emerge from bankruptcy as a stand-alone airline.

Shares of US Airways were lower in trading Friday.

The ongoing battle between American Airlines and an outspoken and recently fired flight attendant is heading to court.

On Tuesday, the Fort Worth-based airline filed a lawsuit against Gailen David and 10 other “John Doe” defendants, alleging, among other things, breach of duty, conspiracy and trade infringement.

American Airlines canceled nearly 300 more flights on Friday as it continues to repair hail-damaged aircraft following extreme weather at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Tuesday.

Aircraft and equipment sustained damage after hail storms hit DFW. About a dozen tornadoes were spotted in the area earlier this week. Despite significant damage, no casualties were reported.

American and American Eagle have canceled nearly 2,000 flights since Tuesday, including about 800 Tuesday, 500 Wednesday and 300 Thursday. 

Friday’s 296 cancellations are “good improvement” from earlier this week, Andrea Huguely, spokeswoman for American Airlines, told msnbc.com. “By tomorrow, operations will be close to normal.” The carrier put Friday’s cancellations in place late Thursday in order to contact and accommodate passengers who would be affected, she said.

American expects 27 flight cancellations on Saturday.

The hail storms knocked 80 planes out of service, 46 of which remain grounded and are being repaired.

American’s facilities at DFW are fine, and ground equipment suffered slight damage – “dings and dents,” Huguely said.

NBC-affiliate Click2Houston.com contributed to this story.

Related stories: 

• Mom recounts saving daughters from 'terrifying' tornado
• 800 homes hit in Dallas area during ‘very unusual’ tornado season
• Videos show flying semi-trailers, golf ball-sized hail

An American Airlines flight attendant from South Florida whose YouTube videos poked fun at his airline bosses said Thursday he plans on fighting his termination, NBC Miami reports.

Gailen David, a 24-year veteran of American Airlines who was based in Miami, appeared in drag as the "Aluminum Lady" in the series of videos that took aim at the airline's financial difficulties. The popular videos have received tens of thousands of views.

Read the original report on Gailen David’s firing at NBCMiami.com

David also runs a website, dearskysteward.com, where the videos along with articles about American Airlines gossip and airplane etiquette are posted.  

American Airlines spokesman Bruce Hicks, in a statement released Wednesday explaining David's firing, didn't mention the videos but claimed David published the private details of American Airlines passengers and promoted American Airlines competitors on his website.

"Mr. David was counseled last year about the serious nature of both passenger privacy and conflict-of-interest violations. He has repeatedly failed to adhere to our policies," Hicks said. "We take our passengers’ privacy seriously and will not allow employees to violate that trust."

Reached by NBC 6 Miami on Thursday, David said he was "absolutely" fired because of the videos, which he claims his bosses at the airline demanded be taken down..

The videos kept getting watched and they couldn't stop it, that's what caused all the trouble," David said. "They're being very selective over what they chose to fire me for."

David said the flight information he posted was from former and current American Airlines executives.

"All of these people were flying first class...and they bump regular customers," David said. "I wanted to ensure everyone that this is what goes on at American Airlines. It's not about the customers."

David said he became outspoken only because he wants to see success for American Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy back in November.

"It just didn't seem that the customer was being put as the number one purpose, that's why I started doing this," he said. "It has gone downhill and they have not kept up with the competition."

On his Facebook page Wednesday, David posted updates of his meeting with American Airlines' human resources department at Miami International Airport and joked that there were two security guards used to escort him out after he was terminated.

David said he's appealing the termination and will continue to speak out about the airline.

"I'm just going to continue with what I am doing," David said. "I'll continue to present accurate information about American Airlines. I'm not trying to slander them ... hopefully they can  get it turned around."

Should American Airlines have fired flight attendant Gailen David? Tell us on Facebook.   

More on Overhead Bin

• American Airlines employee expects firing over parody videos
• Confessions of a flight attendant
• Ranting flight attendant subdued by passengers
• Police describe ranting flight attendant as 'combative'

The American Airlines flight attendant who was removed from a flight Friday after giving a rambling speech on the plane's public-address system was combative and acting irrationally, according to a police report on the incident.

The 43-year-old flight attendant from North Richland Hills, Texas, began talking while Flight 2332 was taxiing to the runway at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, passengers said. Travelers on the plane said passengers began panicking during the speech.

The attendant had begun babbling about technical problems with the plane, saying "Captain, I can't be responsible for crashing this plane," Reuters reported.

Officers were told the woman is bipolar and was not taking her medication, according to the police report.

An off-duty pilot flying in first class and the other flight attendants tried to restrain the woman. Passengers eventually assisted the flight attendants in restraining her as the pilot returned the plane to the gate, NBC 5 reported.

According to the police report, she kicked one of the flight attendants in the abdomen. That flight attendant was taken for treatment at a Grapevine hospital.

The responding DFW Airport police officer said in the report that several passengers were restraining the flight attendant in the first row. Officers handcuffed her, but she continued to resist attempts to take her off the aircraft.

Once she was off the plane, she continued to resist and said a co-worker was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York.

She tried to spit on a responding paramedic, but officers turned her away, the police report stated. Officers also put her in leg restraints because she tried to kick the officers.

Police said she was taken to a Dallas hospital for evaluation.

FBI agents told airport police they would not pursue charges against the flight attendant because the incident was "obviously caused by her mental episode," the police report said.

American Airlines would only say that the woman is not flying at this time.

This story was originally reported by NBCDFW.com

More from Overhead Bin

• Need a rental car? Let someone else find you a deal
• 8 tourism slogans: Good, bad and blah
• Delta 737 rolls off taxiway into embankment at Atlanta airport; no passengers on board

A longtime American Airlines flight attendant said the company threatened to fire him on Friday over parody videos poking fun at company executives that he posted to YouTube, NBCDFW.com reports.

"You know what? It gave everybody at American a laugh that we so needed," said Gailen David of Miami, who has worked for American for 24 years.

In one of the videos, "Aluminum Lady" — a parody of the movie "Iron Lady," about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher —he dressed as a female executive and held a toy airplane.

"We can run each one of these aircraft with about three less flight attendants," he joked. "It looks like it's perfectly doable."

In another video, he posed as an actual American executive and mocked a recent letter that she wrote to employees.

"I thought, 'You know what? I'm going to dress up and get in front of a camera and read this letter how they really meant it,' " he said.

American declared bankruptcy in November and announced this month that it planned to cut 2,300 flight attendants.

David said his bosses demanded that he remove the videos and summoned him to a disciplinary meeting on Friday that he did not attend.

"I'm not taking them down because too many people are enjoying them right now," he said.

He said his supervisor told him he would be fired for insubordination if he didn't go to the meeting, but he had not received official word he had been terminated.

In a written statement, company spokesman Bruce Hicks said David's videos crossed a line.

"We expect our employees to treat one another with respect," he said. "While we recognize our employees' right to express their viewpoints, we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to attacking or harassing other employees."

David said he has received an overwhelmingly positive response from co-workers.

"I have to do what I have to do," he said. "They may fire me for it, and that's going to be OK."

The American Association of Flight Attendants is supporting him.

"Anybody who can get us to smile under these circumstances, I applaud," said Laura Glading, union president. "American has completely overreacted. We support Gailen."

David said he figures he would lose his job in the airline's bankruptcy whether or not he posted the videos.

"We all have tried to deliver such great customer service," he said. "And in return, it feels like we keep getting kicked in the gut, so this was a time for me to do something to make us all laugh for a change and really say what needed to be said."

More on Overhead Bin

• Don't worry, be happy ... in Tucson?
• Woman claims she missed flight due to her gender
• OMG! Alaska Airlines discontinues controversial prayer cards

An American Airlines flight from Milan to New York made an unscheduled stop at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday.

A man onboard needed medical attention, according to airline spokesman Matt Miller, though no specific information regarding the man's symptoms or condition was available.

American Airlines Flight 199 is carrying 156 passengers and 12 crew members, Miller said.

The flight was originally scheduled to land at New York’s JFK airport at 1:15 p.m. ET. The post-diversion arrival time is 3:10 p.m., according to FlightStats.com.

More stories you might like:

• Artists lend their voices for airport PSAs
• 'Tartan Butler' helps visitors trace their roots
• Driving America: Museum exhibit explores car culture

A collection of Alaska Airlines prayer cards, which will be discontinued on Feb. 1, 2012.

In a memo sent to its frequent fliers Wednesday, Alaska Airlines announced that the prayer cards it has been providing to passengers on meal trays for the past 30 years will be discontinued as of Feb. 1.

“A former marketing executive borrowed the idea from another airline and introduced the cards to our passengers in the late 1970s to differentiate our service,” the memo written by the company's chairman and president explained.

But airline spokesperson Bobbie Egan told msnbc.com that over the years the airline has received letters and e-mails from customers for and against the card. Last fall the company decided to stop distributing the cards because, Egan said, “We believe it's the right thing to do in order to respect the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of all our customers and employees.”

Meal tray service in the coach class ended six years ago, so the prayer cards have been provided only to passengers in the first class cabin. MVP Gold flier Roz Schatman gets the cards on her meal tray quite often. “In the spirit of diversity, I find them offensive,” she said.

The Alaska Airline statement said that while some passengers enjoyed the cards, reactions like Schatman’s were not unusual.

“…[W]e've heard from many of you who believe religion is inappropriate on an airplane, and some are offended when we hand out the cards. Religious beliefs are deeply personal and sharing them with others is an individual choice.”

“It always seemed odd to me,” said George Hobica of the consumer travel website Airfarewatchdog.com. “Flying on a wing and prayer? I don’t think those two go together.”

More stories:

• Virgin names plane in honor of Steve Jobs
• Princess ship rescues sailors in midnight mission 
• Capsule hotels may stack up in Hong Kong

Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter.

An American Airlines pilot isn’t smiling after Alec Baldwin’s surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.

“I was disappointed that it was making light of something that’s fairly serious and also was poking fun at a group of employees that are very proud and a historic airline who are going through a tough period right now,” said Steve Roach, a real American Airlines pilot.

During SNL’s “Weekend Update,” Baldwin was introduced as Captain Steve Rogers, and appeared in a pilot’s uniform, mustache and speaking with a southern accent.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

More stories you might like:

• Alec Baldwin apologizes to himself on 'SNL'
• Baldwin joins list of celebs to clash with airlines
• Alec Baldwin apologizes to fellow fliers

The family of a passenger who died of a heart attack on an American Airlines flight earlier this year is blaming the carrier for food poisoning and for allowing the man to board a flight while noticeably ill, according to the Miami New Times.

Othon Cortes died shortly after eating a meal on a Barcelona-to-New York flight on May 18, according to a lawsuit filed by the man's family. While at JFK airport, Cortes “became pale, experienced ‘sharp stomach cramps’ and was suddenly very thirsty.” When Cortes, who was traveling with his wife, boarded a subsequent flight to Miami, his illness was “expressed and obvious” to American Airlines, but the couple were allowed on the plane anyway, according to the widow’s account in the article.

On the plane to Miami, Cortes suffered from nausea and shortness of breath, and eventually had a heart attack and died, the Miami New Times reported, noting that a suit was filed by the family against American Airlines and Sky Chefs, the airplane catering company that provided the meal on the first flight.

The lawsuit stated that the airline was negligent in allowing  the man to board the domestic flight, failing to provide medical attention, and waiting too long to pull an emergency landing.

American Airlines could not comment on the case as it's an active lawsuit, said spokesperson Tim Smith. "In general, I can tell you that our aircraft are equipped with medical supplies approved by the FAA and our crews are trained in numerous procedures related to any type of medical emergency onboard the aircraft in-flight," Smith said.

Msnbc.com reached experts from the government, medical field and travel industry who spoke generally about food safety and boarding procedures. Their comments were not specifically about the case detailed in the Miami New Times article.

“We’re not aware of receiving any complaints regarding passengers whom the airlines should have denied boarding due to illness but who nevertheless were allowed to fly,” said Bill Mosley, a spokesman with the U.S. Department of Transportation. It's usually the other way around, he said, with customers filing complaints because they were denied boarding.

Regarding food illnesses, the department’s database captures general complaints about unsatisfactory food service, but does not have a more specific subcategory. “Most of these complaints involve the taste of the food or that there is not enough or no food available,” Mosley said.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has statutory authority over the safety of airline food, he said, so when DOT receives airline food poisoning complaints, they are sent directly to the FDA and are not necessarily entered in the database. 

The actual number of food poising incidents contracted while flying is not easily tracked, the FDA said, as the airline catering industry has elements of food manufacturing, retail, and institutional food operations, that in addition to oversight by FDA, is highly regulated by multiple federal, state, and local health authorities.

Food poisoning does sometime occur as a result of airline food, but “it’s very rare,” said Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and co-founder of the Atmosphere Research Group, a market research company. “Airlines and their catering companies take a number of steps to ensure the meals that are served are safe.”

Robert L. Quigley, M.D., regional medical director of the Americas Region for International SOS, a health care, medical and security assistance company that provides emergency response to travelers, said food poisoning symptoms typically manifest 12 to 24 hours after ingestion, “although certain types of very virulent bacteria do manifest within six hours.” It is rare, he added, that food poisoning symptoms would manifest in less than six hours, but not impossible. On the other hand, heart attacks occur in-flight “with much more frequency than the public realize.”

Dr. Quigley also said that while symptoms of food poisoning, such as dehydration, might factor in to a heart attack, it is uncommon for food poisoning to be the sole or primary cause of cardiac arrest.

Boarding while ill raises interesting issues for both passengers and carriers.

“There is some personal responsibility here,” said Steve Lott, spokesman for Airlines for America, formerly known as the Air Transport Association of America, (ATA), a trade group representing the principal U.S. airlines. “It’s the passenger’s judgment that’s the most important.” However, “in the case of a medical emergency in flight, the airlines have a lot of resources available,” he said.

“Airline employees are not trained medical professionals. Travelers must take responsibility for themselves,” said Harteveldt, the travel industry analyst. However, passengers should make airlines aware of that they are not well at the first opportunity. “Most airlines will work with customers to get them the medical attention they need,” he said.

When should a person not fly?

“As a medical assistance company, we get calls about that on a daily basis,” Dr. Quigley said. “I don’t think we can expect the commercial airlines to have medical screeners at the door of every flight. The onus is on the passenger to make that assessment,” and to speak with a doctor or nurse if they are concerned.

More from Overhead Bin

• American bankruptcy long overdue, travel experts say
• United Airlines manager accused of using gay slur
• House approves new TSA rules for U.S. military