This is how I see all of this playing:

Step one:

BB meets with UA and and renews the 50 flying, and might get more depending on how Mesa turns out, in exchange for removing UA competition in Denver (F9). United is happy and RAH has more contract flying.

Step 2:

BB goes to big daddy D and offers the F9 fleet for next to nothing in cash in exchange for the 36 175's at compass. DL is heavy on Wholly owned carriers and would be happy to burn Compass' cert. and sell/trade their planes to RAH. Delta contracts with RAH to operate the 36 175's out of MKE using all the assets (gates/slots) just aquired from Midwest. Delta instructs RAH to fend off Airtran out of MKE and RAH does it for cheap. (Delta does not care about Southwest in MKE, Southwest will to and from the west and DL will fly to and from the east.) Now DL is happy because they keep the "thorn in their side" (Airtran) from gaining ground in MKE, They got a 40+ Airbus fleet for cheap and one less Wholly owned to deal with. And...RAH has more 175's and more flying.


Everything I just said is just a way to make a point. People have said many times that the legacys are going to be upset about this. BB is a lot of things but dumb is not one of them. Do you think he made these deals, and tonight when he is brushing his teeth its going to hit him and he'll say.. uh oh...Delta might not like this???

I am one of those people who thinks there is something much bigger going on here. DL and UA are both in a position to benifit from all of this. I am not so sure that they were not FULLY aware of this before it happened and maybe "on board" with it.

I am mad/afraid.