So you're hypothisizing that AMR is buying U almost STRICTLY for their feeders ?

Buy U mainline assets and merge that into AA mainline (AA certificate) and sell Eagle to U to operate an independant domestic carrier operating large RJ's on the U certificate (maybe run by Parker) ?

Hmmmmmm............................

I would think most of U mainline would likely disappear over a few years along with most of their uncompatable aircraft and the surviving feeders under U (those with larger RJ's) would merge together (perhaps with Eagle) to expand into a seperate domestic carrier with hundreds of E-190 type aircraft. AA becomes a smaller (then post U merger) International, transcon, long range domestic and "special market" player and U becomes a short/medium and some long range domestic behemoth with wildly profitable 100-seaters ?

In theory, I can see how that would make AMR drool as that way AMR controls both carriers seperately and reaps the rewards for domination and competitivness in both markets, but I'm not sure what the obstacles are ?