Originally Posted by IMHO

Surely, Surely the glaring differences between XJT, ACA, and RAH are extremely noticable even to the most uninformed pilots among us. As it has been said many times before, and I'm sure it will be disregarded even as I say it, because people long for history to repeat itself and for another "branded regional" particularly RAH to fail. Unfortunately for those naysayers among us, history is not being repeated simply because no "regional airline" has done what RAH is attempting to do. They have the brand, they have the name recognition, they have the planes, pilots, ground staff, marketing, and customer base. They have fare structure, route structure, and fuel hedges. They know their landing fees, airport fees, security fees. There are no suprises coming to Republic. What Bedford isnt familiar with, Menke is. What Heller doesnt know, someone in Denver does. What RAH is doing is unprecedented regardless of what you say. Show me a time where a regional airline has ever attempted such an undertaking.
As to United and Delta...most assume that UA is angry and DL is livid. If you were United, what would you rather do...Leave RAH to fend of your biggest threat in DEN (Southwest) or cancel Shuttles contract and automatically have RAH with 36 170's at their immediate disposal to paint in F9 colors and parade out of DEN? Almost effectively doubling Frontiers presence instantaneously? And lets not kidd ourselves, United isnt in a position to leverage a baked potato, not to mention enter a fare war to out price F9 AND Southwest.
Delta on the other hand, is not the suprised spouse either, as it were. I'm sure we would have heard from DL by now if they were all that bothered by RAH actions. After all they tried to do away with Freedom for delayed flights. I'm sure this is a much much more aggregious offense. And yet...silence. Delta's in bed with RAH, no doubt about it.
And just one more thing, Republic has no intentions of branding itself Republic. So all the passengers who are supposedly shying from the tiny carriers will have the opportunity to continue flying "mainline household names" like Midwest and Frontier.