 Thank you very much; you're only a step away from downloading
your reports.  With Consolidation of Airlines, Is Elite Status a
Thing of the Past?   As airlines like United and Continenal
merge, it seems like perks such as seat upgrades are getting
harder and harder to come by.  It's fair to say the airline
industry has taken a battering over the past decade. Rising fuel
prices, 9/11, economic crises, constant fare wars, and the
emergence of discount carriers like Southwest (LUV) and JetBlue
(JBLU) have all taken a toll on the profitability of airlines
both domestically and internationally.  In a tough adapt-or-die
environment, where airlines routinely file for bankruptcy, the
industry has witnessed aggressive consolidation to cut costs and
increase revenues. Delta (DAL) and Northwest merged in October
2008 to become the largest airline in the world, only to be
unseated by United and Continental's (UAL) announced merger
plans in 2010. This leaves American, which filed for bankruptcy
last year, and US Airways