"Prices will go up, that's the negative," said King, 46, who was flying to Minneapolis-St. Paul on Tuesday on a $600 ticket.

Million-miler Bryan Liebert, 36, of Atlanta, said he'll wait and see before forming an opinion on the deal.

"I think if it's not broke, don't fix it," he said. "I want to know more."

Jim Mellon, 71, of Woodstock, was headed for Puerto Rico and said he understands Delta's urge to get bigger. He said so-called "open skies" agreements are boosting foreign competition and "being small you can't compete."

As for pricing, he said, "I don't think airlines are really out to gouge us. They are just trying to keep their heads above water."

Oliver Hoffmann, dropping his mother-in-law for her flight to Tokyo, said a merger turning Delta into the world's biggest carrier is remarkable, given the airline's struggles of recent years. Delta was still in bankruptcy a year ago, and one winter ago was the subject of a hostile takeover bid.

"I think it's a great thing for Atlanta," Hoffmann, 37, said of the Northwest deal. "There was talk of Delta going under two years ago and jobs going away from Atlanta. Now things have turned around."

Atlanta native Michael Eckardt, 46, echoed that sentiment, saying he's happy to see Delta keeping its headquarters local.

He was less sanguine about what will happen to fares if the merger goes through.

"I'm glad we've got AirTran in Atlanta to keep them honest," he said, referring to the Orlando-based airline that is Delta's top rival at Hartsfield-Jackson International.

Tom Edgeworth, 46, of Suwanee, works for a greeting card company based in Detroit, one of Northwest's hubs.

"It's the best thing that could happen to everybody," he said, adding he expects better route offerings and frequent flier benefits.

He's not worried much about fares.

"They don't compete on price now," he said of Delta and Northwest. "The only folks they compete with are AirTran and Southwest. The consumer benefits because otherwise one of these airlines would have gone out of business."

Several Delta or Northwest employees at the airport said they were under orders not to talk to the media, and a few that did would not give their names.

"We just have to wait and see" about the effect on employees and jobs, one pilot said.

Another said: "You don't want my reaction."

Peter Gee, a pilot with Delta contract carrier ASA, called the deal "a good thing."

"The U.S. needs one less major airline so the rest can get back on their feet," said Gee, a seven-year veteran.

He said the merger could be difficult for pilots and others as the workforces are integrated, but that some benefits could flow from the deal as well, such as raises or equity stakes.

Copyright, AJC 2008