If I read one more major media story concerning United Airlines and it’s “desire to merge” with a partner, I’m going to scream.

Yesterday it was  the rehash story that BusinessWeek posted. Not one piece of news in the whole thing. Today, Reuters is in on the act. And there have been others. Many others.

Says one thing to me. The United Airlines’ PR and positioning machine is making Tilton available to all who want to talk to him, and they are pushing to get this story out as much as they can.

Interesting. I wonder if this means fourth quarter is shaping up worse than expected, and they want to try and sucker, er, convince a would-be suitor/investment banking team before they have to face the music of reporting how much damage Virgin is doing to the airline’s trans-con business?

Whatever the reason, the airline is beginning to look like some of the women who hang out on Bourbon Street. Actually, I’m not sure those women might not be more subtle in their approach.

Oh, yeah. To be fair, there have been two stories concerning United this week. The merger story — and the story yesterday about how the airline wants to alter its debt repayment plans so that it can have the opportunity to “spread the wealth” to its shareholders.

Such a fine airline, that United.

Ticker: (Nasdaq:UAUA)

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