United Airlines and Continental Airlines have agreed to merge to create the world's largest carrier by passenger traffic. According to Bloomberg News, the deal will be "stock swap valued at more than $3 billion" and "United and Continental together would take the top spot in global traffic from Delta Air Lines Inc., with hubs in New York and Washington and the most traffic among U.S. carriers on high- fare Atlantic and Pacific routes." The merged company will keep United's name and base in Chicago; the NY Times says the deal, should it be approved, "would give the airlines the muscle to fend off low-cost rivals at home and to take on foreign carriers abroad."