This I agree with 100%; the Barbell Strategy including West Coast + Asia/Pacific on AS/HA side and East Coast + Europe/Atlantic on B6 side, plus both sides alliance’s and international code shares agreements, is truly the only combination that will eventually really compete with the Big3.

That being said, it will take many years and a new administration (DOJ) to execute; as well as both sides Board of Directors willing to either operate as a “group” and retain 3 separate brands, or someone is gonna have to budge and be willing to give up the brand.

That’s gonna take a powerful influencer to abandon the brands; I think a group similar to the Lufthansa group might actually be plausible, and may help get across the DOJ hurdles as well.