The impact of a US Airways-American Airlines merger

Commercial passenger airline mergers, prompted in part by soaring fuel costs, weak passenger demand and the economic slowdown, have trimmed the number of major carriers serving the bulk of the domestic passenger market to five this year, from 10 in 2000. Here is a look at what an American Airlines merger with US Airways would mean to U.S. air travel:

What would it do to the local economy?

Recent mergers -- AirTran merging with Southwest in 2011, United joining Continental in 2010 and Northwest becoming part of Delta in 2008 -- plus the recent American bankruptcy have led to the loss of hundreds of jobs in the region. It is unknown how many more jobs another merger would cause, but the two airlines both run shuttle services to Boston and Washington out of LaGuardia Airport and also have separate terminals at that airport.

Would fares go up?

The federal government said it would cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year in higher fares and extra fees. A 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general's office said mergers could mean consumers' wallets take a hit in the long term. Having fewer major airlines suggests that increased airfares and reduced capacity will be a permanent industry shift, not just a phase, the report concluded. "Consumers can expect higher prices. That's the trend line," Kevin Mitchell, of the Business Travel Coalition, a group that represents corporate travel managers, said recently. "As you get fewer and fewer competitors, you can expect them to care less and less about consumers."

Have mergers helped the airlines?

Solvency came after airlines merged, streamlined operations and cut expenses, including trimming flights with empty seats. Passenger flights were cut by 14 percent between 2007 and 2012, with most of the cuts made during the recession in 2008 and 2009. From June 2011 to June 2012, the industry cut 2.8 percent of its flights. Load factors -- the measure of how full planes are when they fly -- increased to 82 percent in 2011 from 71 percent in 2000. Crowded planes mean the airlines offer fewer discounts for unsold seats, according to the inspector general's report.