As with most mergers, the announcement this week that United Airlines was joining forces with Continental Airlines to become the world’s largest airline touted all of the benefits of the combination: Complementary routes that will give consumers more choice and flexibility; scale that will provide cost synergies; and resources that will allow for strategic investments. Continental’s CEO (and CEO-designate of the merged company), Jeff Smisek, even said that “putting these two carriers together is a match made in heaven.”