More fuel for the merger fire:

AMR Is Said to Be in Talks With JetBlue Airways to Widen Booking Agreement - Bloomberg

“It definitely furthers cooperation between them,” Higgins said of the current discussions. “If the benefits to AMR of the JetBlue tie-up are as good as I think they’ll be, I also believe it increases the odds there may be a merger down the road.”

The challenge for American is to first resolve contract talks with its three largest unions, Higgins said. The current labor negotiations date back as far as September 2006, when bargaining began with pilots.

The last paragraph I think is key, my take is no merger until the contracts are signed. I am sure others on here can give updates as to how those talks are preceding.