Parker was back in talks with United in 2010, only to be left at the altar again when Continental CE

After three failed attempts at major mergers, caesar hotel atlantic city Doug Parker, chief executive officer of US Airways Group Inc., is approaching a deal to combine with AMR Corp. s American Airlines and form the world s biggest carrier.
Parker, 51, has applied lessons from his previous efforts, shifting tactics in pursuing the bankrupt AMR. The two companies are working on final details, and their boards may vote on the deal later this week, people familiar with the matter have said. Parker would lead the combined company, the people said.
The deal would mark a career achievement for Parker, the longest-serving CEO among large U.S. airlines. It would complete the industry consolidation that he began in 2005 when his America West Holdings Corp. merged with US Airways, reduce the number of full-service domestic carriers to just three and bolster airlines caesar hotel atlantic city ability to raise fares.
caesar hotel atlantic city US Airways began its pursuit caesar hotel atlantic city in January 2012, less than two months after Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR sought court protection. The airlines agreed last week on post-merger leadership caesar hotel atlantic city and the division of equity, people familiar with the matter have said. Parker would become CEO, and American s Tom Horton would become non-executive caesar hotel atlantic city chairman, the people said.
With US Airways the fifth-biggest U.S. airline, a tie-up with No. 3 American would push the combined carrier to the top spot by global traffic, passing United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc., both of which eluded Parker in the past.
"Parker has been the No. 1 backer of consolidation," said Bob Mann, a former American Airlines executive who runs aviation consultant R.W. Mann & Co. in Port Washington, N.Y. "He doesn t mind getting his nose bloody if he thinks it s the right thing to do."
Hired in 1995 as America West s chief financial officer, Parker s tests began almost as soon as he became CEO in 2001, 10 days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Parker testified before Congress in support caesar hotel atlantic city of a $15 billion airline-aid package as travel demand shriveled, saying America caesar hotel atlantic city West was at risk of bankruptcy. It secured a $380 million federal loan guarantee.
The man known as a fierce competitor at salsa-making contests and go-cart races at US Airways annual media day drummed up $1.5 billion to fund the America West-US Airways deal from backers that included planemaker Airbus SAS, former Air Canada parent ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., and hedge funds Par Capital Management Inc. and Peninsula Investment Partners LP.
His hostile 2006 bid for then-bankrupt Delta faltered after two months, as creditors and employees balked. In 2008, former United parent UAL Corp. walked away from talks with US Airways, caesar hotel atlantic city saying that a combination wouldn t produce enough caesar hotel atlantic city savings and that it wanted to explore a deal with Continental.
Parker was back in talks with United in 2010, only to be left at the altar again when Continental CEO Jeff Smisek jumped in and persuaded UAL s then-CEO, Glenn Tilton, to do the deal that created United Continental Holdings Inc.
Parker met his wife, Gwen, when she was working as a flight attendant at American, which recruited him when he was earning his Masters of Business Administration degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. One of his co-workers at American was Horton.
Parker appeared last year as South Korean rapper Psy — of "Gangnam Style" video fame — complete with baby blue tuxedo jacket, black pants and sunglasses, and danced in the US Airways headquarters parking lot. Isom and Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr, both wearing yellow jackets, caesar hotel atlantic city joined him. "He s got the right personality to lead a team," Bethune said.