That's one of the options, but remember there's lots of moving parts that have governmental interference in play. LGA-DCA slot swaps aren't the only deal out there. JAL/Open Skies have government fingerprints. Haneda access is still to be decided. AA-BA is only required to divest 4 slots in a much more controlled market by the same DOT that is proposing ripping the guts out of the LGA-DCA deal. That same DOT didn't raise a squeak when AirTran and CAL swapped EWR for DCA/LGA slots last year. Where is the greater concentration?

Delta has to tread carefully in working through these issues, as they have to work with this government in this "deregulated" environment. I think the Delta MEC Chairman made it clear in his letter that the Delta pilots don't have to...