If it's jilted by US Airways, United may be out of suitors

United Airlines could find its last, best hope for a merger partner slipping away if talks with US Airways stall, observers say.

The two carriers have been negotiating for weeks, and at one point appeared close to a deal. But discussions reportedly are on the verge of falling apart, though the top executives of both airlines have a meeting set up today in an attempt to hammer out some differences, according to the Wall Street Journal.

United has been courting possible suitors for several years.

Harlan Platt, a turnaround specialist and finance professor at Northeastern University in Boston, said stronger partnerships could provide a temporary bridge for struggling airlines. But he thinks they would only delay the inevitable consolidation of the U.S. airline industry.

"Longer-term, all of the big airlines will start to merge together," Platt said. "They're going to have to. As the bartender calls out last call, the potential partner you chose not to leave the bar with earlier looks awfully good at this point."

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