AS has been being bought/merged since at least 1990. First it was AA. Then DL. Then SWA. Then AA again. Then AS was buying Reno. Then AA again. Then SWA. Then AS/HA merger.

None of it happened. The VX acquisition was the first blip in that 28 year history and that was just because they had so much money laying around they had to buy something.. The boys at Angle Lake aren't going to kill the golden goose anytime soon.