Despite Market Conditions, United and Continental Could Still Become Merger Partners

(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) -- Although the volatility of oil prices and shifting market conditions change the calculations and strategies on an almost daily basis, the next major carriers to merge could still be UAL Corp’s (NASDAQ:UAUA) United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc (NYSE:CAL).

Rising fuel prices have caused UAL Corp to suffer huge financial losses and, in turn, UAL’s share-value to decline, which changes the playing field for the negotiators.

"UAL was suddenly the smaller airline by market cap, with a value of $1.6 billion, compared with Continental’s $1.7 billion. That change, and new questions about UAL’s overall financial health, could alter the balance of power as the two airlines try to hammer out a deal," The New York Times reported in an online article on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, the personal connections between the Directors at United and Continental could be the key factor that determines the viability of a deal.

NewsVisual decided to create an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map in order to illustrate the personal connections between United Airlines and Continental.

The Knowledge Map shows a plethora of personal connections between the two airlines that indicate a merger deal between the two airlines has a very high probability of coming to pass.

These connections run through numerous companies in all sectors of the economy.

They include the following companies: Marriot International Inc, Bank of America Corp, AAR Corp, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp, Prudential Financial Inc, Gannett Co Inc, the Washington Gas Light Co, and the Nash Finch Co.

To view the specific details of these personal connections, click here for an interactive and fuller version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map.

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).