Make no mistake about it. At some point in the not too distant future, UA and CO are going to merge. There is more to this proposed combination than mere speculation. Lots going on behind the scenes on both ends that is more than just standard competitive analysis.
And Gordon would love nothing more than to be brought out of retirement to run a combined UA/CO. Or even just a stand-alone UA. In a merger, there's no way the current UA management sticks around. Those clowns haven't a clue how to run an airline successfully. They ran the bankruptcy playbook page by page, which is EXACTLY what any carrier in that situation would do. Let's let them show us some creative, out-of-the-box strategic planning for a change and then maybe I'd applaud their efforts. Until then, they're still amatuers.