I'm not sure about this assesment:

For now, the success of small airlines with strong brands is likely to begin pushing against the branding approach of larger airlines. "I think the pressure is going to come from the regional guys that are getting pretty good at creating a unique experience and delivering around it," says Andrew Pierce, U.S. President of brand consultancy firm Prophet. "Those guys are going to become more formidable." They could chip away at the edges of a market that big carriers guard closely.

I guess "big carriers guarding closely" doesn't contradict Delta giving the west coast to Alaska, and sending more planes to RAH after they bought Frontier and Midwest?