Midwest Bidding War: The Flying Public Could Lose, Shareholders Will Win

The higher the bidding goes for Midwest Airlines, and the holding company that manages the airline, the higher the risk to the flying public and the service that will result when a final bidder is declared.

If AirTran has to pony up tens of millions more, then that is more money it will have to borrow and repay, which could lead to a sale of some Midwest assets, or a discontinuation of some routes.

The winners are the shareholders, and to a degree, state and federal tax collectors eyeing the shareholders' capital gains.

So it goes.