The greatest fear should be that the good reverend gives in to guaranteed flying and profits (for perhaps 10 - 15 years), which would provide him additional time for him to get the house in order over on the Frontier side. American knows they need to sell Eagle and will likely make him such a deal, he cannot refuse it.

Eagle should sell to a regional airline that intends to stay that way. RAH is headed in a completely different direction. If BB want growth on the contracted side of the business -- the logical airline to buy would have been Compass - same planes, same or less seniority, same flying, etc. However, RAH said they had too much on their plate and passed. The stock market bruised them for it.

An AE purchase has trouble written all over it for both seniority lists, corporate integration, fleet integration, corporate missions, RAH balance sheet, etc. However, if American and the stock market make him take it by making it too financially lucrative to pass up and brusing the stock price further for passing, BB will have to bite. Good luck to the AE and RAH pilot groups if this happens.