Branson has never stated he wants to run United or any other legacy out of business. United, even pre-merger, was and is a very strong legacy carrier, with a huge international network, diverse fleet. VA cannot run ANYONE out of business, simply based on the size and destinations alone. All VA is set up for is to provide an alternate to the bland flying options available in the US, offering a higher class product. You cannot put a legacy airline out of business like United by starting a domestic A320-only airline that does mostly transcons. From day 1, United has been giving VX the headaches, not the other way around.