What will happen to the airline web sites?

United Airlines and US Airways. American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. British Airways and KLM.

Seems like every time you check the news, there’s another report of one airline announcing plans to buy another. And while the herd of analysts ponders the consequences of these consolidated carriers to consumers and Wall Street, few if any have bothered to ask about the airlines’ interactive strategies. What will happen to the Web sites?

That may be the last thing on the industry’s mind. The reason: on average, less than 10% of bookings come directly from an airline’s Web site. It’s certainly less of a concern than a potential deal breaker like a union dispute or close government antitrust scrutiny.

But it’s worth keeping our collective eye on. Here’s why:

- The ripple effect. Consolidation among airline sites translates into a certain degree of reshuffling among information technology suppliers. Companies such as Datalex and GetThere.com may fight even harder for a piece of a big metaphorical pie that’s sliced into fewer metaphorical pieces. A market like that, one could argue, would be conducive to creating several very large IT providers focused on ticket transactions – or perhaps even one large company.

- The consumer backlash. An airline site is an airline site, right? Wrong. A US Airways Gold Preferred frequent flier isn’t necessarily accustomed to the look and feel of United Airlines’ site. Neither will a United Airlines Mileage Plus member, who is used to looking for e-fares, be pleased if the United.com site changes to accommodate incoming US Airways customers. (UAL Corp’s. Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission doesn’t mention the proposed integration of its Web site with US Airways’.)

- The analysts’ reaction. At some point in the near future the pundits will proclaim that it’s finally happening: the number of travel Web sites are consolidating at last. And they’ll hold these airline site mergers up as “proof.” This, of course, will be complete nonsense. The only thing they’ll be showing us is that they don’t know how to count. Even in this NASDAQ-impaired economy, a new travel site is launching almost ever day. You call that consolidation?

- The industry reaction. It’s difficult to tell how what remains of the airline industry will deal with the new mega-airline Web sites. But Legend Airlines may offer a preview of sorts with its little-noticed online strategy. The upstart carrier has positioned its Web site, which sports a New Age feel, as a contrast to the corporate-looking Internet storefronts operated by the likes of American Airlines or Delta Air Lines. Customers like that, if the polls are to be believed. I would expect the other airlines to use a “smaller is better” strategy – maybe emphasizing a “personalization without pretense” philosophy – to combat these airline Web behemoths.

When the dust settles on these airline mergers, I would expect two things. First, not all of the airlines that said they intended to get married will have actually walked down the aisle. And second, the Web sites will remain an overlooked part of this corporate mating ritual.

That may seem like smart business now, but in this Internet economy, the last thing a company should ignore is its Web site.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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