This "take" shouldn't be a big surprise and is no great revelation. We all knew both sides wanted to see the Delta outcome and the direction AA was going so no deal recently can hardly be a shock.

Plenty of people have been commenting this deal might look quite a bit like Delta as it's obvious UAX 50 seaters are no spring chickens like Delta's. Of course UCH is interested in parting ways with these gas guzzler upcoming maintenance hogs and move up to 70 seaters like DAL. In reality the question becomes how many 70 seaters and how to push flying back to mainline as the regional hull numbers decline.

It seems the lobbyist/UAL side politics thing is a bit overblown but it makes for a good read. Not getting the impression the situation is quite that divisive but perhaps wrong on that...