I find it entirely believable.

You have a point that Southwest will have to adapt. I think their position is not as strong as the common analyst might suggest. I also think some of their more... enthusiastic posters will find it difficult to come to terms with certain unavoidable realities. All businesses eventually reach, then pass, their apex. Southwest doesn't offer the best service, or the best prices, and they're done finding easy growth opportunities. They still have a highly motivated employee group, and relatively higher compensation. That usually lasts for some indefinite period, this feeling you've escaped gravity. Then something changes, and the inertia swings, imperceptibly at first, towards the erath, and towards the bottom.

My guess is that this perhaps has already occured. Some have that funny feeling in the pit of their stomach, and some of them will react by being more arrogant, trapped in denial, will others will be a little more cautious, further along on the path to acceptance.

...

WRT the proposed deal, however, I don't see that SWAPA did anything wrong. Combine their (current) advantage, and the precarious position at F9, and it's obvious to me they didn't have to offer anything beyond a staple. Even if the company obviously had a lot to gain taking out F9. I don't see why the pilots should facilitate it at their expense.

I don't find their position arrogant at all, and certainly not "unbelievable". The tone of some anonymous posters, now, that is a different story. But the staple offer? I see no problem with it. F9 did, and they tried option "A". It was entirely up to them.

The same will occur if we bring Compass into the fold, and I certainly don't expect we could, or would, offer anything beyond a staple.