Here is my shot in the dark as to what is going on in the current game of musical chairs.

It is a given now that UAL approached LCC as an attempt to bring CAL to the table.

This supposedly leaves LCC without a chair after the two "pretty ones" hook up (CAL and UAL).

If it is assumed that LCC and UAL are most in need of a marriage, could they both be using the same tactic to bring their intended loves to the alter?

In other words, could the two who are seen as the weakest (UAL and LCC) have been forcing the hand of both CAL and AAL?

With LLC closing its' BOS base and swapping slots with DAL in LGA and DCA it seems that they are "primping" themselves for a suitor. And it would make sense (to me anyway) that with a marriage to AAL it would give AAL the same thing DAL has in NYC: a large domestic hub in LGA and a large (with a nicer terminal than DAL) International hub in JFK.

Ideas?