Northwest (NWA) would rather buy competition than improve

In another lap tray to the belly, customers of Milwaukee-based Midwest Air Group (NYSE: MEH), repeatedly named as one of the nation's best airlines for customer service and comfort, learned today that the airline will be purchased by a group led by TPG Capital. The investor group includes Midwest's competitor Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA), which is reviled by passengers for its cattle-car seating, lack of timeliness and failure to understand the concept of customer service

The acquisition offers little in the way of synergy to the two airlines. They duplicate many routes, and Midwest flies the Boing 717, while Northwest uses 747s and 757s. What the deal does accomplish is to block the expansion of a potential competitor in Northwest's upper midwest routes. While the deal secures the present management of Midwest, I suspect it's just a matter of time before the malaise reaches Milwaukee.

Midwest has been fighting off suitor Airtran Holdings' (NYSE: AAI) hostile takeover attempt, which reached $15.75 and $389 million before it folded its cards late last week. TPG, which grew out of the Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) takeover in 1993, is offering $16 per share, or over $400 million, to take the company private. The Midwest board voted Sunday to go forward with the TPG offer, and an agreement is expected by midweek.