GS is a huge profit-maker for US. They haven't giving away millions of miles year after year out of the goodness of their hearts, they're charging their partners a hefty chunk for them in exchange for the surge in business that GS brings to said partners. It would be asinine for US to not do a Grand Slam if making some fast money is the objective.

As for a US-AA merger, well, Doug Parker has been running around like a 16 year old with his daddy's Amex card for years, trying to spend money the airline doesn't have to merge with anyone who will come to the table. It's notable that Parker stands to make millions off the deal, because analysts say the deal would likely actually be structured with AA as the acquiring partner (since it will be in a stronger position just after emerging from bankruptcy). If AA were to be the acquirer, Parker would end up out of a job -- and traditionally, airline CEOs get a really nice severance package to the tune of six or seven digits. I'm sure he'd be just heartbroken.

The economic reality is that, barring antitrust action, a US-AA merger actually does seem likely. We've already seen DL-NW, UA-CO... catapulting those carriers into the lead. To be competitive, US and AA need to be bigger. Or perhaps, here's a novel concept: stay small and agile, but provide really exceptional service.

*pauses* Don't ask me where THAT came from. Someone must have slipped something into my drink...