American Airlines and US Airways have apparently cleared the remaining hurdle to their long-sought merger. Whoopee. Forgive my lack of enthusiasm, but as I hope readers here will recall my mantra, “the airlines are not your friends.”

American and US Air tout this merger as a way of providing better service for their customers. It isn’t. It’s only a way of providing their shareholder a bigger return. If you doubt that, think back to your last favorite airline merger. Do you remember all the benefits you derived from that? Is there enough time in the day to celebrate the good things that happened to you as a result of the merger? Are you better off now?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you are obviously an elite flyer with the highest level of status with your favorite airline and who spends — or whose company spends on you — probably at least six figures every year. Congratulations. Those of us in the back of the plane salute you and ask that you please not trip us as we struggle to the rear.

Anyhow, this new merger creates the world’s largest airline, although the benefits of that are yet to be determined. American and US Air agreed with the Justice Department to abandon some landing slots in Washington and NYC — things they were going to do under any circumstances — and to keep serving under-served airports in states that don’t have Washington or NYC in them. Bully for them. The requirement to serve smaller airports is for only five years, and I’m betting it won’t last even that long. And what about ticket prices? Historically prices go up after mergers, though it is alleged that low-cost airlines will come in to take up the slack. That might or might not happen, and it might or might not be for very long.

So in this brief pessimistic commentary, what can we, the peons in the back, expect? Fares will slowly rise, and additional fees will rise much faster. Flights will be fewer, seats will be smaller, and planes will be fuller. And I grant you that would likely happen regardless of a merger. But this will accelerate it. And what a pity the justice Department blew the case off so easily. It amounts to a giant corporate victory where one was not merited. It’s very disappointing.

Dnd the good news from this morass? Well, we’re almost out of airlines to merge now. At least for a few years, when Delta, American and United will get together to form Leviathan Airlines, which will control every route and airport in this country. There’s a prospect that ought to send even teetoatling flyers to drink.