this rumor has been floating around for a long time. i had gordon bethune on my jumpseat in oct '04. "we would ****ing crush american" is a direct quote. it was recently given more creedence by one of our corporate *****s, i mean, executives who said all UA had to do to make a deal was bring a boatload of cash, something UA hasn't managed to make lately. and that would be for them to buy us, not the other way around.

it's all a load of crap just like most airline rumors.