These are tough economic times for the nation, most would agree, and one hard-hit sector has been the airline sector, specifically the major carriers.

Surging fuel costs, the increased precautions and reviews required for the post-September 11 era, and intensifying competition for international routes has led to large losses among many major carriers - - a condition that has forced them to raise fares and implement other cost-cutting changes.

Most have also instituted a baggage fee for a passenger's second bag, with some carriers charging for all bags. Still, for the most part travelers have taken the baggage fees in stride. Although viewed as a nuisance by many travelers, the reality is a second bag, in particular, is optional weight that increases flying costs per mile. And with aviation fuel zooming past latte-price levels, that's no significant expense.

Still, US Airways Inc. may have gone one too far with the fee system. Effective today, US Airways will start charging for water on flights by coach passengers, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday (subscription required). Bottled water will be $2. Passengers flying first class are exempt from the extra fee.

AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) is recently down 94 cents to $7.25. AMR recently announced significant capacity reductions and increased fees for baggage check in services. AMR June option implied volatility of 108 is above its 26-week average of 84 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to internal company and agency documents, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FAA is investigating into why AMR Corporation's (NYSE: AMR) American Airlines ordered mechanics to skip specific safety instructions to detect damage to planes from potential lightning strikes.
• In order to compete more effectively against Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, the Wall Street Journal reported that Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ: RIMM) is planning to introduce "Thunder," a touch-screen version of its BlackBerry device.

OTHER PAPERS:

• Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) is trying to quickly put the finishing touches on a search advertising deal with Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) as billionaire Carl Icahn launches a proxy fight for control of Yahoo's board, according to the New York Post. Yahoo! hopes to announce a deal with Google to create an open platform system within the next week, two inside sources said.
• The New York Post reported that a partnership of MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) and investment company Dubai World may seek to buy the Drake Hotel site from developer Harry Macklowe. If a deal is reached, MGM and Dubai World would assume $580M in defaulted debt and interest, inside sources said.

Look for the stalled Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) / Northwest Airline (NYSE: NWA) deal talks to regain momentum and the merger to be announced in the week ahead, an analyst confidently told BloggingStocks Thursday.

Independent stock analyst C. Leonard Bauer, formerly of Prudential, said the Delta / Northwest talks may be stalled by the inability of the companies' pilots unions to reach an agreement on seniority lists, but that traditional, formidable hurdle will not stop this deal from coming to fruition due to its "strong marriage fundamentals."

Attractive fundamentals

Bauer said three fundamentals will drive the deal: absence of overlapping city pairs, economies of scale and passenger demand.

"First, there's the overall flight route fit. Delta and Northwest have only 10 or 12 cities pairs that overlap, so from a destination coverage standpoint, the deal is very attractive," Bauer said. "Second, the new company will have massive economies of scale and will be a force in the new global market. This will be a profitable airline."

Is the U.S. airline sector on the eve of another transformation? One analyst thinks it may be, if recent merger rumblings are any indication.

The Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) / Northwest Airline (NYSE: NWA) merger discussions and chatter that Germany's Lufthansa is considering an investment in a potential merger between United (NASDAQ: UAUA) and Continental (NYSE: CAL) suggest to independent equities analyst C. Leonard Bauer that a new commercial aviation paradigm may be up ahead.

"When you look back at the last 30 years, you can say that the 1980s, clearly, was the decade when mergers were needed to meet the demands of the new market, basically the mass consumer market in the U.S.," Bauer told BloggingStocks Wednesday. "Those larger carriers' lowered seat prices led to a huge increase in domestic travel, which helped bring flight travel to the typical citizen."

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines may reach a merger agreement within weeks after sharing details of the plan with pilot unions, people close to the talks said, Bloomberg News reported Monday.

An announcement of the merger may come within weeks, Bloomberg News reported.

The merger would create the world's biggest airline in terms of traffic, Delta served about 74 million passengers in 2007; Northwest, about 56 million. The combined entity would vault past no. 1 carrier American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), which served 129.5 million passengers.

Delta's (NYSE: DAL) shares were down 23 cents to $19.95, while Northwest (NYSE: NWS) declined 23 cents to $20.62 in Monday afternoon trading.

Analyst C. Leonard Bauer told BloggingStocks Monday a Delta / Northwest represents a good operational fit, for several reasons.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is said to be seriously considering a merger with either Northwest Airlines or United Airline's parent UAL Corp, people close to the matter say, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

According to the Journal, Delta is expected to give CEO Richard Anderson permission to pursue formal mergers talks with both Northwest and United, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Delta shares were down 7 cents to $15.91, while Northwest (NYSE: NWS) declined 22 cents to $15.63, and United (NYSE: UAUA) fell 59 cents to $31.60 amid a broad market sell-off Friday afternoon.

Too many carriers

Many sector analysts believe the U.S. market has too many carriers, and could benefit from two or even three mergers or takeovers. American Airlines (NYSE: AMR) is the largest carrier by traffic, followed by United, Delta, Continental (NYSE: CAL) and Northwest.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) Monday said it is continuing to review strategic options and that it did not expect an "immediate" sale of its regional jet service Comair, Reuters reported.

Delta's shares fell 21 cents to $13.18 in mid-day Monday trading.

Delta (NYSE: DAL) has considered a sale of Comair since exiting bankruptcy in April 2007. Along with a company restructuring and an evaluation of Comair's operation, Delta is exploring strategic options, including joint ventures or mergers.

Last fall, Delta and United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA) denied that they had held merger talks after a hedge fund Paradus Capital Management LP recommended that they merge.