The real excitement starts now as they gradually merge two operations. They've got the two-year window, but it will be a delicate act.

It should make the intolerable delays a thing of the past.

They have to completely revamp their operations to survive.

I think United has proven its plan is viable. It has won over many skeptics. Its service quality performance is stellar. Its labor costs are low. Its shift to [more profitable] international markets appear to be focused and working.

[Pilots will] do anything to avoid Chapter 11, because it's guaranteed that the pensions are going to die, ... Pilots take it on the chin. Pilots face a catastrophic loss in standard of living or income when pension payment plans go bad.

Low-cost carriers are reluctant to jump into the international arena. It requires long planning horizons, sometimes years of diplomacy.