I, too, will miss having US as an option for East Coast routes. But: Those don't yield much PQM either. When the airfare to BOS jumped on US before a trip I had planned last May, I didn't feel at all put out booking B6 instead. (Yes, they fly out of the crummy end of DCA, their onboard product is worlds better). US routes to Florida yield a little more mileage, but that's also a much less frequent destination for me.

Meanwhile, by far my most common business-travel destination is the Bay Area, and UA's DCA-SFO nonstop works really well for that. If only the return flight got back a little earlier; I've flown back to IAD a few times to be home in time for dinner and our kid's bedtime.

The NYT story I read said that the combined US/AA would have 60 percent of the slots at DCA, so if UA gets a few and makes creative use of them, this discussion would change course a bit.

Lastly: With phase one of the Silver Line opening (hopefully!) by the end of the year, the schlep to IAD should get a little easier even with having to transfer to a bus. You'll have a choice of two bus services at Wiehle Avenue--the Washington Flyer and a new, cheaper but slightly slower Fairfax Connector route--instead of having only the Flyer at West Falls Church. I don't know if the 5A will also stop there, but WMATA would be stupid not to arrange that.