AANOTOK said:
Again - read it for what it is. All the endless diatribes about all of AA's insurmountable problems and challenges, and minimizing all of the strengths AA will soon be able to wield, and all the insinuations and implications that Delta has permanently locked up its leading position are basically just the stages of grief, only applied to Delta fanboys. Once it became clear that the whole "world's largest airline" line was no longer going to be applicable, then it turned to how Delta's is the world's most profitable airline, best-run airline, etc. And now, based on analyst estimates, perhaps - perhaps - that line, too, is approaching the end of its runway.
This is a common pattern and a well-worn path, no different than Delta's attempt to steal JAL away from AA failed four years ago ...
First it was the self-congratulation about how Delta had scored a massive victory over AA:
"The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. The timing of how it will all play out remains to be seen but the outcome seems pretty certain."
Then shocked denial when it became obvious that Delta might not actually win out:
"If true, this decision once again confirms how poorly JAL has been run and that they are unable and unwilling to do what they have to do to turn their company around."
And finally then outright anger and resignation when reality sets in:
"DL ... will still operate more than enough flights to depress yields over the Pacific and in Japan as long as it takes to finish Japan Airlines off once and for all."
As I said, the fear and foreboding is becoming increasingly palpable.
