🙄 Hahahahaha. These arguments get increasingly stupid, and detached from reality, with each passing day - it's so transparent that, on point after point, everything is oriented around trying to explain away Delta's (1) deficiencies, and/or (2) diminishing competitive advantage.
AA's network is no more "lacking" than Delta's. The only major domestic regional hole for AA is the Rocky Mountains, the least populated part of the country. Meanwhile, Delta is #4 out of 4 in Texas, a denser, more populated, and vastly more important place. Internationally, AA is competitive to Europe, and far closer to where it needs to competitive in its weakest region (Asia) than Delta is in its weakest region (Latin America). All this hyperventilation about all the capacity AA is adding with no mention of the fact that AA may well be more profitable than Delta at the moment. An airline with lower costs leveraging those costs to grow - what a novel idea!
The message is always the same ... that it's American that better be careful about growing because if they do, it "might not be too long" (how foreboding!) before another airline responds. But of course, unlike five years ago, it's now a two way street: Delta also better watch out and be careful because now AA, too, can put pressure on Delta when and where it wants to. The days of Delta getting to push without competitors pushing back are O-V-E-R. And therein, of course, lies the source of all the tears behind the laughter: AA's network and finances are (very) rapidly eliminating one Delta competitive advantage after another, and some people just can't handle it. Fear, fear, fear.
